Adolescence Passing
by CNJ
Summary: Book Four of *The BSC Legacy*- The BSC's senior year of high school is absorbed with preparing for college and adulthood. They deal with the mixed feelings of leaving high school and their growing independence. Completed!
1. Finally...Seniors!

The usual disclaimers and that Mona is a creation of Betsy Haynes and all. So here starts the BSC's senior year...

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13 _

**1: Finally...Seniors! **

**Mary Anne:**

Oh, wow. I can't believe we're the oldest kids in school this year. Dawn and I met Mona and Claudia on the way to school, then Stacey joined us.

"God, I can't believe we're seniors this year," Mona told us.

"I know," Claudia added. Just then, a car horn sounded and Kristy drove up in the Junk Bucket that she'd inherited from her brother Sam.

"Heyyy, you all want a ride?" she called.

"Yeeaah..." We all piled in.

"We're the top dogs now!" Kristy crowed as we rode to school.

"We sure are," Claudia added.

"Hard to believe," Stacey put in.

"Just one more year," Dawn said. "And we'll be adults." I know; I couldn't believe we'll be old enough to vote next year!

* * *

**Mona:**

It was kind of strange seeing all these younger kids here. And to think that they'll be looking up to us as seniors, the oldest.

"Oh, God, guess who's my homeroom teacher!" Mary Anne squealed, her face lighting up.

"Who?" I asked.

"Ms. Fedders!"

"Oh, nice," I looked down at my schedule. "So do I. Hey, we're in the same homeroom again!"

I know Ms. Fedders is Mary Anne's favorite teacher. Ms. Fedders is also the chief advisor of the SHS newspaper, the Beacon, which Mary Anne is in. This year, Mary Anne's the head editor of the paper.

"Hey, you're with Ms. Fedders?" Kristy asked. "Hot damn! So am I! This is going to be great!"

"Hey, everyone!" Abby and Anna squirmed their way through the crowd and met us.

"Abby...Anna, our gals!" Kristy called, giving them a giant hug.

"Isn't it great that we're finally seniors?" Abby asked.

"Yeah..." we agreed. It was getting close to the bell, so we headed to our homerooms.

* * *

**Kristy:**

Caitlin Giotti, who was this year's senior class president, was in my English class this year.

"Hey, Caitlin, my buddy!" I called.

"Hey, Kris!" she called back.

We reached over and hugged, then sat next to each other. She looked great. I knew she'd spent the summer as a lifeguard at a New York City beach. She had a great tan to show for it as well as a NYC T-shirt. We talked until Ms. Ceratta came in.

She's one of the toughest teachers in this school and a lot of kids complain about her, but I don't mind her. You have to _really_ study for her tests. One more year, I thought. I am going to study like crazy this year, so I can graduate and get out into the world next year.

It'll also be swell to have our former charges inherit the BSC and keep it running. I know parents need it as much as ever today. They'll be happy to hear about our plan to keep it going for many years to come even after my friends and I have long left Stoneybrook.

* * *

**Mary Anne:**

As I headed toward German class for third period, whenever I saw lost freshmen, it brought back memories of when I got lost freshman year. My heart went out to them. Don't worry, you'll survive, I silently tried to send a mind signal to them. I guess on lost girl did because she tentatively came up to me.

"E-xcuse me...can you tell me where Lit I is?" she asked in a soft voice, looking around nervously.

"Sure," I told her, giving her a reassuring smile. "Three doors down the left side, go around that corner, and it's not the first door, but the second," I directed. "Want me to show you?"

"Thanks, I think I got it."

She headed in that direction. I slowly walked toward German, making sure that she made it at least to the turn and I pointed in that direction. She nodded and headed there.

I headed to my own class. As I sat, I had a good feeling that things were going to be easier in many ways for this year's freshmen, because the IN clique is now defunct and won't be harassing kids anymore. I shuddered as I remembered how close they came to taking over SHS completely.

* * *

**Mona:**

As I headed to lunch, I met Mary Anne and on the way, we spotted Ms. Silverbein.

"Hiii..." we called, waving in her direction.

"Hello, girls." She smiled softly at us.

"How was your summer?" I asked.

"It was wonderful...a little sad, though." Ms. Silverbein ran a hand through her short salt-and-pepper hair. "My youngest went off to college. She went up to Maine. But earlier this summer, all three of my kids were with me and we went to Sweden." "That's great," Mary Anne said softly. "Hey, good luck to your daughter in college."

"Thank you," Ms. Silverbein continued down the hall. "I'll pass it on to her."

"She seems to be feeling better this year," Mary Anne told me.

"Better?" I asked, puzzled. "About what?"

"The Storm last spring."

"Oh, that, yes." I remembered that shoving incident last year that we nowcall the Storm.

Ms. Silverbein had felt so guilty, even thought it wasn't her fault. It had hurt her to see that even after she'd stood by in Operation Today's Good Youth, which Abby spearheaded, some kids from the In clique were still causing trouble.

Kristy had told us that she'd gotten a glimpse in her office after school the Monday after that incident and saw Ms. Silverbein break down and cry. We bought her a card and a paper which everyone but the suspended kids signed, just to let Ms. Silverbein know how much she'd done for us and how grateful we were for her heroic actions at that storm at that baseball game.

She'd dived in and along with some other teachers and Mr. Brooke, Burkeview High's principal, stopped the shoving and punching, saving a lot more kids from being hurt and prevented anyone from being seriously injured. I'm so glad the IN clique is now broken up.

* * *

**Stacey:**

I'm so glad we're seniors, I mused as I drove with my mom to the Buy N Bag after school. But at the same time, I'm a little sad because this is our last year in Stoneybrook.

We've already started training Becca Ramsey, Karen Brewer, Vanessa Pike and Charlotte Johanssen, who are now in middle school to fill in. We'll be getting more kids, mostly former charges to become the next generation of our club once we leave for college next year.

"Penny," Mom said softly.

"I'm not sure if it'll buy me a soda at McDonald's," I turned right toward the shopping center. "But here goes anyway...I was thinking about how happy and sad I am at the same time...that my friends and I are graduating this year, then sad that we're all growing up and leaving this."

"I understand, " Mom reached over and stroked my shoulder. "It's been such a joy to see you grow up, yet I often thin about how much I'll miss you when you leave for college."

We looked out at the beautiful early fall day. It was very clear and a few of the tress are starting to change. Even the remaining green is growing pale now. Our childhood is fading, I thought. I have the feeling this year is going to fly by.


	2. At the Top of Things

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing **

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13 _

**2: At The Top Of Things **

**Mary Anne:**

"You'll do fine; don't worry," Mona patted my shoulder as she and Claudia went into the yearbook room while I headed to the journalism club.

Usually at the beginning of each year, the new head editor of the _Beacon_ gives a short speech as to what their goals are for the school newspaper that year. And this year it's my turn; I'm the new head editor this year.

Ms. Fedders gave a short speech, welcoming all of us back and welcoming the three new students, freshmen who wanted to sign up.

Looking over at them made me remember when I had been one of the new freshmen, nervous and a little eager. Mentally, I wished them good luck. Finally, Ms. Fedders introduced me as the head editor to the freshmen, then nodded for me to say something.

I was sitting near the front, so I turned my chair to face everyone and began in a low faltering, quavery voice, "I'm very pleased to be selected for this position..."

As I continued speaking, my heart began to pound and I could feel all eyes on me, probably wondering if I had the courage to be a leader.

Suddenly, a thought of Jenny Prezzioso, one of the BSC's charges, ran through my mind as I spoke, reminding me of the time she ran a high fever. Even though I'd been scared, I'd taken charge and managed to stay calm and keep her calm until I'd gotten her to a hospital.

That thought brought on the time I'd saved Timmy Hsu from drowning, another frightening time in my life. That was the summer after the senior BSC had graduated from eighth grade.

Then my old house flashed through my mind. That awful house fire had burned down our old farm house the summer after tenth grade. I'd been so full of numb, stark terror for a few days after that, then cried ten oceans of tears, worrying about how I was going to put my life back together, but I'd managed to do it with my friends' support.

Twice, I had to clear my throat as I spoke and the second time, another memory flashed through my mind. 

That's the way you see things. And that brought on Logan Bruno's face. He used to be my boyfriend back in eighth and ninth grade, but then I needed space and he couldn't deal with that. That was when he'd told me _that's the way you see things_ when I tried to tell him how I was feeling.

"...I hope I can..." my voice broke and I had to clear my throat a third time.

I hesitated a minute, closed my eyes a second, then a rush of determination took over me. Of course, many things were the way each person saw them! And I'd make damn well sure that everyone's view was heard in here and that no one would be made to feel like they're "crazy" for seeing things their way or to feel that their opinions were "inferior" to another person's. I'd fight my many fears to see to that.

Looking at everyone, I was able to continue in a louder, clear, strong voice.

"One promise I will make here is that everyone's voice will be heard and that no one's opinions will be shamed or put down. That's one goal of journalism. To make sure everyone's heard," I finished.

The room was quiet a minute, then kids started to whoop and clap. I let out the breath I wasn't aware I was holding and my hands went limp with relief. Wow, I did it.

Ms. Fedders smiled at me. "Good speech, Mary Anne! Is everybody ready to start on articles for the first issue of the year?"

"Yeaaaaah..." everyone chimed in as I opened my pad and started writing the ideas down. I had the feeling I was going to enjoy being the head editor of the Beacon this year.

* * *

**Claudia:**

Since I had my mom's car, I gave Mona and Mary Anne a ride home. The green in the leaves are starting to fade and a few trees are beginning to change colors. On the way home, we talked about our meetings. Mona and I love being the senior designers of the yearbook _Visions_.

"...and the seniors are having their pictures in color this year after all," I told Mary Anne.

"Oh, great!" Mary Anne whooped.

"And Caitlin Giotti has some fantastic ideas for senior year," Mona added. Caitlin Giotti is the senior class president.

"Kind of strange to look at the freshmen and remember we were there four short years ago," Mary Anne added.

"It seems almost like yesterday, yet it seems a long time ago too," I turned up Burnt Hill Road.

"Back when I was at Burkeview," Mona put in.

"And when the IN clique threatened to take over SHS," I added. "Thanks to Ms. Silverbein and Operation Today's Good Youth last year, things will be a bit easier for the incoming students."

"So much happened in these past few years," Mary Anne pulled on her backpack as I slowed in front of her house.

"It sure has," I added.

We waved bye, then I dropped Mona off, actually parked in front of my house, since she lives practically a couple of houses down from me, right in Mary Anne's old house. Waving at each other, we headed inside.

Neither of my parents were home yet, so I checked the e-mail. There was one from Janine, who is in her third year at the Naval Academy. It's not the big one in Maryland, but a smaller one in Arlington, Virginia near the Arlington Cemetery.

She and her cadet troop are starting a new training program which was something on spotting engine trouble on ships by computer. Sounded interesting, even if I didn't get all the technical terms.

I e-mailed her back, updating her on Stoneybrook happenings here and my work on the yearbook, then logged off and put some things in the microwave to warm up for dinner, since my parents would be home in about a half hour.


	3. New Improved Cafeteria Food, Anyone?

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing **

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13_

**3: New Improved Cafeteria Food, Anyone? **

**Kristy:**

Hard to believe we're seniors. The biggest kids in school. Almost adults.

I guess that's why Mary Anne and I got the crazy idea to do something wild for the hell of it.

Thank heavens seniors have off-campus lunch. We mapped out a wacky idea on the way back to SHS that late September.

The cafeteria, though it means well, tries to pass off stuff as food. So after school, Mary Anne came over to my place and we made signs that were more accurate descriptions of the cafeteria's excuse for food. _Vomit loaf_ for meat loaf.

"_Chicken-guts mignon_," Mary Anne snickered with a kind of almost snort.

"Too gross," I laughed. "We'd get sued or something if somebody threw up for real. How 'bout _chickens' foot mignon_?"

"Guess it's better," Mary Anne nodded.

We had fun with the little signs. We made one bigger one saying, _And now_..._the truth about this stuff that tried to pass itself off as cafeteria food! Here it is!_

Since we have the first period free, Mary Anne and I slipped into the cafeteria and posted the signs up surreptitiously...

* * *

It worked. Kids were laughing and pointing, then eventually the whole cafeteria cracked up, including the BSC. We were eating on campus so we could see the reactions.

By the end of lunch hour, the cafeteria was roaring and my friends and I did high-fives. Other kids chimed in with their own "creations" and made us all laugh more.

The servers peered at us from the kitchen, I guess bewildered as to why everyone was laughing, then edged out and peered around, trying to find out what was so funny. I guess they couldn't figure out what it was, so they retreated.

That made me laugh so hard, I let out several belches. Mary Anne sucked in her breath with a loud whoop, then cracked up so hard her cheeks turned red.

"Way to go!" Some called over to us.

"The great cafeteria food expose!" Caitlin Giotti crowed.

We were so busy having a great time that we didn't hear Ms. Wilfrey, the head cashier, come up behind us until she stood over our table.

"Kristin Thomas and Mary Anne Spier?" she drawled.

Our laughter slowed and Mary Anne gave a startled yelp.

"Oh...we...uh..." Mary Anne's cheeks turned an embarrassed bright red and she tried to keep her eyes from straying over to our signs.

"I supposed this is your idea of a joke?" Ms. Wilfrey glared at her, then looked around for me.

"I'm Kristy," I admitted. "It's just a harmless joke. You know being seniors and all..."

But Ms. Wilfrey wasn't amused...

* * *

**Stacey:**

Oh, my...God. Ms. Wilfrey was _not _amused.

She took Mary Anne and Kristy before the Student Mediation and it was a good thing I was on their "jury." Ms. Silverbein was one of the "judges" along with two other teachers.

They're never in trouble. Kristy has a wild streak, but basically stays out of trouble and Mary Anne never gets into trouble. I just hope Ms. Wilfrey could see that and give them a break.

It was Ms. Silverbein who brought the cashier and Mary Anne and Kristy into the mediation room after school.

It's usually a half-hour session with students rotating "jury duty" and teachers rotating "judge" duty. It's almost like a real-life courtroom that SHS started last year to cut down on conflicts getting out of hand.

It's been effective; in the past year, the number of fistfights has gone way down and students seem more willing to work out conflicts. It's also cut down violence in school a lot, which is a relief. Ms. Silverbein is the one who got it started and she's done a great job keeping it going.

"I must say," Ms. Wilfrey snarled when she had her say. "They embarrassed us and maybe the school when they put these..." she smacked the cardboard signs down on the table. "OBSCENITIES in my cafeteria!"

We looked at the signs and some of us cracked up again. I had to press my lips together to stifle a laugh myself.

Ms. Wilfrey glowered at me a second before looking back at Ms. Silverbein. I guess because she knows I'm friends with Kristy and Mary Anne, I realized.

The signs were very creative, actually. I think even Ms. Silverbein's mouth twitched, even though she was trying to look serious.

"This is _not_ amusing," Ms. Wilfrey snapped. "Disgracing the cafeteria and the school this way...this desecration!"

"Kristy...Mary Anne?" Ms. Silverbein looked over at them. "Do you have anything you want to say?"

"Not in our defense, really," Kristy told her. "It was kind of idiotic, what we did. At the time, it seemed funny."

"Mary Anne, I must say I'm surprised at you," Ms. Silverbein added.

"I'm...I'm so sorry, Ms. Silverbein...Ms. Wilfrey," Mary Anne blushed a deeper red. "I know it was wrong and Kristy and I are willing to accept the consequences." We deliberated a little more.

"They didn't damage any property," I put in.

Tad Tiler and Karen Bucwali nodded.

"I think Ms. Wilfrey overreacted," Marcy Rostein put in.

We wanted to acquit them, but since they'd admitted it, there had to be some retribution.

"I'm actually for giving them something light myself, " Ms. Silverbein put in and two other teachers nodded. "Something to show Ms. Wilfrey how sorry they are, but not punitive."

"Right," Ms. Buchwald agreed.

In the end, we all decided that they were to dish out cafeteria ick for three days. And Mary Anne and Kristy nodded in agreement when they heard the verdict.

It was a relief that they didn't get into too much trouble and Ms. Silverbein wasn't even upset; I suspect if she'd been in the cafeteria, she would have cracked up like the rest of us.

The next day, kids were breaking up again, this time in the line. We looked up and sure enough, Kristy and Mary Anne were there, dishing out the food. They also wore these _HILARIOUS_ aprons that said, _Kiss these servers! They also baby-sit and love kids!_

"Chow time!" both of them hollered, then laughed along with everyone else as they dished out the food.

Never a dull lunch hour with those two!


	4. College Apps

Finally! Have more on their senior year of high school! Enjoy and let me know what you think! 

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**4: College Apps**

**_Common College Question_**: 

**Where do you see yourself ten years from now, professionally and personally?**

**Kristy**: 

That's a good one. I'd love to say President of the U.S. of A., but highly unlikely. And anyway, we'd be only twenty-seven...eight years too young for the presidency. But seriously, I'd like to have graduated from college, have a decent job, maybe in the executive field of a national chain and be starting my own business. What I'd really love, is to be CEO of a business eventually and to have five or more kids. I've always dreamed big and will continue to do so in adulthood. After all, the Baby-Sitters' Club here in my town, started with a dream I had and my friends and I have been running it successfully since seventh grade. 

**Mona**: 

Most likely a veterinarian, since I love animals. By twenty-seven, I hope to have graduated from college, which I'm sure you've heard that from most, if not all of your applicants. I'm seriously contemplating graduate school. I'll probably have to start off as an assistant in a vet's office, but I hope to open my own practice within a few years after college. As for personally...it's still too early for me to tell. 

**Mary Anne**: 

Where I'll be at twenty-seven...I'll have a Master's degree in secondary education with a minor in psychology. I'll be teaching, preferably in a New York City high school. I don't expect the first few years to be easy, as most teachers who start off have a rocky start. And if for some unforeseen reason, teaching doesn't pan out, I'd be a counselor, either a personal one or a high school counselor. As for personal...that's a bit more complex...well, I'll still have the great friends that I have now, even though we'll most likely be at different colleges, but I hope to expand the circle and make more great friends...I hope to eventually have kids once I have my career established...the jury's still out on whether I'd be married then or not, if that's included in "personal." 

**Claudia**: 

Hopefully, an artist. Once I get this year over with, then get through the first years of college and all the grueling English and history courses out of the way, I can concentrate on what I'm REALLY meant to do, be an artist. I'm toying with the idea of freelance art, but I also know I'll need something steady to support myself until I get my art off the ground. I've also like the idea of using my artistic abilities to advertise. So, I'll most likely, after college graduation, work as an assistant in an art museum or store until I get my real career off the ground, either in freelance or have my own business in advertising. Personal...hopefully, have kids and of course I'll still have the friends I do now, adding however more I make in college and in the art field.   


**_Another Common College Question_**: 

**"The more things change, the more they stay the same." Name and explain examples of how this quote relates to your life**. 

**Stacey**: 

Interesting quote. I remember hearing it in an old movie my friends and I saw at a sleepover. It was the movie _The Color Purple_ with Whoopie Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey and boy did Mary Anne Spier and I cry and cry throughout most of that movie! All right, as to my own life...over our high school years, my friends and I saw many changes...we started ninth grade and with that our adolescence just bursting out right along with pimples, greasy hair and branching out in new interests. Still, we continued to have our Baby-Sitters' Club meetings three times a week and to be available to Stoneybrook parents whenever they needed baby-sitters. The changes became even more apparent when a clique threatened to take over SHS in tenth grade, then the landscape of SHS changed in the fall of eleventh grade when we got a lot of new students and Abby started the Operation Today's Good Youth where most of us sent in letters to the editors protesting the negative image portrayed in the media of today's youth. And it changed things here at SHS! Kids got more courage to stand up to the clique and the clique weakened and eventually broke up. So now our school is no longer under the shadow of that clique and my friends and I are older and wiser. Still, our friendship hasn't changed and even our different personalities are still mostly the same. I hope that's one clear example. 

**Anna**: 

Boy. Wow. I remember hearing that quote sometimes. I guess it's about all the changes our high school went through with overthrowing the In clique and watching each other go through puberty and everything and getting older and taking on more responsibilities and having more freedoms, but also all of us sticking by each other. And also, when my twin sister Abby and I were younger, one example is my family...our dad died in a car crash when Abby and I were nine. I can just imagine what a gaping loss and adjustment that had to be for Mom. It sure changed our family forever. I was afraid we'd drift apart, but a year later, we took a vacation to a remote island and celebrated New Year's Day there and I found out that we were still very much a loving family, Abby, Mom, and I. Even Dad would still be with us in spirit, if not physically. And best of all, Mom still was the take-charge, competent loving woman I'd always admired, despite going through a terrible loss and Abby still loved her sports and I still have my love of music, which I intend to make into a career. 

**Abby**: 

Good quote! I can think up a million examples, but it'd take three million pages and just as I don't have the time to list them all, I'm sure you and your admission staff wouldn't have the time or patience to read it all, esp. since you're probably swamped with applications galore. So, I'll just focus on the social changes our high school Stoneybrook High went through in the larger changing society. I guess things started to change once my friends and I hit high school and went through the usual changes of adolescence. Then once we got the ball rolling with Operation Today's Good Youth (I hope some of you got the chance to read our letters in the newspapers in November 1999), things really started moving fast for SHS. The In clique slowly lost its credibility, so they couldn't bully the other kids, we had a ton of new students that year, so I'd say our junior year was most pivotal. It made all of us think, not only us students, but teachers and parents too. And for my friends and me, our parents stood by us all the way. It showed us that even though the school was changing and in turn, changing society, our folks were unchanged in their support of us kids. And to make it more worth it, our principal, Ms. Silverbein stood by us all the way and for that, my deep gratitude toward her will never change. And now, on the cusp of yet another change, our graduation from high school in the spring and us going off to college, I have a feeling my friends and I will grow and mature, but our basic personalities won't change. And for that I'm grateful. I hope that answers your question adequately. To find out more about Operation Today's Good Youth, visit the website _www.otgy.com_ and read some of our letters. 

**Dawn**: 

As for my life, our lives. I tend to think of my life being linked with that of my friends. Well, one thing is that I've been through many changes in my life including my parents' splitting up when I was in seventh grade, then each of my parents remarrying, then my dad and stepmom having Grace, my new sister. Other changes...becoming friends with Mary Anne, who would later become my stepsister, moving from the West Coast all the way to Connecticut in seventh grade, then moving back west in eighth grade, then moving back here for junior and senior year of high school. I have two sets of swell friends...one group in California and the other group here in Connecticut. All of us have gone through enormous changes, including divorce, growing up, deciding what to do with their lives after high school. With all the change, I'm so glad some things haven't changed like our friendship and my family's love. And my stepsister and I have gotten even closer throughout the years, even as we all struggled to adjust to stepfamily life. I remembered how heartbroken she was when I moved to California in eighth grade. Truth is, I'd missed her just as much. I've heard of friendships sometimes drifting apart when one moves, but I suspect because Mary Anne had that fear, we both made an extra effort to keep in touch and to make a point of keeping each other in our hearts even though we were far apart. And it worked. All that changes we went through and my bond with my stepsister is still as wonderful as it was in eighth grade. And once I came back to Connecticut, we'd pretty much picked up where we left off and that extended to the rest of my East Coast friends, despite the fact that it was junior year and our high school was going through many changes. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Kristy**: 

We spent the next several BSC meetings sifting through college applications and giving each other pointers. It was hard to believe we were applying to _college_.   
"Next year we'll be adults," Claudia peered over her application to New York U.   
"You know what that means, right?" I asked with a grin. "Freedom. New responsibilities."   
"New paths in life," Mary Anne carefully folded her applications to Staten U. and Arizona U. and put them in envelopes.   
"Getting our careers off the ground," Stacey added, giving one of her essays one last check. I myself was applying to Fellowdean U. in New York City, Stamford U. here in Connecticut, Roster U. in Maine, and Connecticut U. Bit by bit, we were slowly training the next generation of the BSC. Charlotte and Karen had come to a couple of our meetings and by January, we'd get a group of our former charges together, at least four if not more, and really start with the training, so they'd be ready by the time us original BSC members left for college. All of us planned to go away; none of us were staying here in Stoneybrook next year. I felt a tingle of excitement as I looked over my essay for Fellowdean U. one last time, then put it in the envelope. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Dawn**: 

"So you're thinking of Arizona U. next year?" I asked Mary Anne about a week later after we'd done our homework. Mary Anne lay down on the bed and nodded.   
"I applied to Tucson U.," I sat down next to her. "Hey, if we both get in those colleges, we'd still see each other every so often."   
"Sounds good." Mary Anne sat up and kind of leaned close to me. "I'm getting knots in my stomach just thinking about the admission process. I just hope when they see my transcript, they can overlook that C minus I got in home ec in freshman year."   
"I'm sure they will," I told her. "You're a great student and involved in a lot of things. I doubt they'll turn you down for one mediocre grade."   
Mary Anne gave a nervous kind of laugh. "I don't even think a C minus is a mediocre grade; it's a bad one."   
"Hey, some kids get worse than that and still get admitted to decent colleges," I stroked her back.   
"I hope you're right," Mary Anne's hand went to her mouth and I could see that she was struggling not to bite her nails.   
"Hey, you applied to Staten U. and New York U. right?" I remembered Mary Anne telling me that she'd always wanted to live in New York City as an adult.   
"Yeah," Mary Anne nodded. "Mona applied to Staten U. too. If we both wind up going there, I'm thinking of asking her to room with me."   
"Good idea." I nodded. Mary Anne and Mona are both shy, so I might be good for both of them if they at least knew each other. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Abby**: 

Anna started to bite her nails a little as we sat on my bed. We'd been talking about college and everything and had sent in our applications.   
"We'll still see each other often," I told my twin sister as she ran a hand through her thick dark curls, so much like mine, except my curls are long. I'd applied to Stamford U., New York U., and to two colleges in New Jersey, Dexter and Ellis. Anna had applied to Trenton Music Academy, New York U., Connecticut U., and Syracuse U. "In fact, if things pan out and we both wind up in New Jersey, maybe we could even rent an apartment together."   
"Good idea," Anna lay back on the bed. "I'm going to miss this place next year."   
"Yeah, me too," I lay next to her and we looked up and the ceiling and said little things back and forth. It was already late October and I had the feeling this year was going to really fly by. "I have the feeling Mom's going to really miss us too."   
"Yeah..." Anna nodded. "I hope she isn't too lonely here once we're gone."   
"We'll keep in close touch," I said softly. "Thank the stars for e-mail." 


	5. College Prepping Time

Finally have more on the BSC's senior year...quick disclaimer that Sweet Valley U is a creation of Francine Pascal, not the current author...enjoy! 

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**5: College Prepping Time**

**Dawn**: 

"...I still have to finish my application for Tucson U," I told Sunny over the phone one afternoon in early November when Mary Anne was at a _Beacon_ meeting and Richard and Mom hadn't come home from work yet. "Most likely, I'll wind up going there." It was good talking to Sunny again.   
"Hard to believe we're almost ready to graduate," Sunny said softly. "If only Mom..." she hesitated and we both knew. Her mom had died of lung cancer two years ago, so she wouldn't be there to see Sunny graduate this spring. "It's going to be hard," she finished softly.   
"I can imagine," I said softly. We were quiet a minute as we thought about Sunny's mom, Betsy Winslow. She really was a wonderful person. It had been a terrible blow, not only to Sunny, but to all of us in our group out in the West Coast to lose her. It's horrible to think about, but what if my mom weren't around to see Mary Anne and me graduate? Thinking about that reminded me of Mary Anne's natural mom, who'd died when Mary Anne was just a nine-month-old baby. I wondered if Mary Anne would feel that void too at graduation. I also remembered how wonderful Mary Anne had been with Sunny when Sunny had come to visit Stoneybrook shortly after her mom had died. Slowly, we continued on with college discussions, but with the memory of Betsy Winslow in mind. Sunny had applied to Bay University in San Francisco, San Francisco U. and Sweet Valley U. down below Los Angeles. She also told me that Ducky goes to Sweet Valley U. as well. She also told me that Maggie wants to apply to Arcata U. in Northern California, but her dad is pressuring her to apply to Stanford U. and to a lot of other big-name colleges.   
"Ivy League label," I muttered.   
"Yeah..." Sunny agreed. "I really wish her dad would get off her back."   
"Is her mom standing stronger or what?" I asked.   
"Yes and no," Sunny hesitated a minute. "Sometimes she does over everyday things especially since she's gotten out of rehab and is working part-time...but she's still backing away from big issues like college and Maggie's future."   
"Has Maggie applied for a scholarship?" I asked. "That way, her tuition would be paid for and her dad can't use that fact that he's paying for this or that as an excuse to dictate her life choices.   
"Yes, a couple," Sunny told me. "She even applied for one on the East Coast, which would get her away from her dad's control."   
"Good, good," I nodded. "Tell her to keep applying and to hang in there. It is ultimately her life that'll be affected, not her dad's."   
"I will," Sunny said. "Hey, it's been swell talking to you and I'll tell the others hi. I've got to run down to my dad's store and take something to him, so talk soon."   
"Okay, bye," I said. After I hung up, Mary Anne got home and we decided to start dinner for Richard and Mom. I think Mary Anne enjoys being the head editor of the school newspaper. There was the November issue of the _Beacon_ sitting on the counter and it was neat seeing my stepsister's name on the roster at the top of all the names of the _Beacon_ staff. At dinner, Richard mentioned that he'd be going out of town next week on a case. Sharon talked about a new design her architecture firm was working on. As we ate, I thought about how this year was flying by and that the times of all of us sitting like this at the kitchen table as a foursome were numbered counting down the days until we left for college. As it is, we luck out if all four of us can get here for dinner more than a few times a week. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

Dad was out of town for a week. His case was in Montana, so he'd flown there the next Monday. Hard to believe Thanksgiving was two and a half weeks away. All week my friends and I compared college apps and several of us mailed ours. Kristy had sent hers out to Fellowman in New York City. Mona sent hers out to Staten U. in New York City and so did I; in fact we did it the same day, dropping ours into the mailbox near her house that Friday afternoon on the way home from school. I'd also sent my application to New York U. One more to go, I thought; I still was working on my application to Arizona U. That night, Dawn had a baby-sitting job and wouldn't be home until late, so it was just Sharon and me home for dinner that night.   
"This house is going to feel so empty when you and Dawn leave for college next year," Sharon said softly. "I can't believe you're both seniors."   
"Me either," I picked the olives out of the casserole before eating the rice and chicken. Sharon loves olives, so she finished them for me, then we cleaned up the kitchen and I went upstairs to do my homework for the weekend and finish my application for Arizona U. It was around ten-thirty when I went down to say goodnight to my stepmom. I was a little surprised that she was up watching the late news because she usually goes to bed by ten, even on weekend nights.   
"Hi..." she whispered when she saw me. I sat next to her and gave her a hug, then my eyes wandered over to the TV. It was about women in the middle east. As I watched, I saw that it was more about the women in Afghanistan and I saw that they were all wearing burkas, the thick long veils covering their faces and bodies. To my horror, the newscast revealed that these women were _forced_ to wear the burkas and that they'd had all kinds of restrictions posed on them and were kept out of work and forbidden to do all kinds of things. For even a minor violation, they could be killed! There was one story of a woman who was shot when she accidentally exposed her arm.   
"Oh, God," My breath caught. "This is as bad as the way the Nazis treated the Jews back in the 1930's."   
"Yes, it's terrible," Sharon nodded. Some of the scenes were so heartbreaking and it detailed that so many women were suicidal and sat for hours just rocking endlessly in numb fear or crying softly. A lot of these women had been doctors, teachers, writers, and lawyers and had had active lives before this new radical government took over a few years ago. One sight brought tears to my eyes. What really made me start bawling was a woman who'd been killed by her own husband for being _suspected_ of adultery, leaving three kids motherless. A chill ran down my back and I started crying for real. Sharon reached out and put an arm around me. I leaned on her and really let go, just wept, my heart aching for those poor women.   
"I know, it's awful," Sharon soothed. I kept crying into her shoulder for a long time, even after the broadcast was over. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**_E-mail messages back and forth_**: 

  
  
  


**Steps4ever**(Mary Anne) to all:   
_Hey, what do any of you know about the new radical Taliban in place in Afghanistan? Are any of you aware of the plight of women there?_

**Bizprez**(Kristy):   
_I'd heard about the government, but what's happening with the women?_

**Numbers**(Stacey):   
_I heard that the women are considered virtually nonpersons there, but I don't know too much more_. 

**Steps4ever** to all:   
_I just saw the really heartbreaking newscast about the conditions women face there and it made me bawl my eyes shut_. _I'm still wiping away a few tears as I write this_..._they're forced to wear these long burkas and they're kept out of school, jobs, and are basically prisoners in their own homes. They can't go out without a male escort and can be killed for any "violation_._" There's an epidemic of suicidal behavior among them there, which is no surprise_. _God, can you imagine?! It reminds me of the shit that went on when the Nazis grabbed control of Germany in the 1930's_. 

**Animalover**(Mona):   
_Wow, that does sound chilling_. _Maybe we could find a way to spread awareness, maybe around school or something_. 


	6. Dance of December

Have more on their senior year! Just a quick disclaimer...the technicalities of the raffle-planning may seem similar to a dance featured in the book _Daughters of Eve_ by Lois Duncan. I rarely went to formal dances in high school, so my experience with formal dances and raising money at a dance is limited; if the raffle idea seems similar to Lois Duncan's dance in the mentioned book, the gist of that idea is Lois Duncan's not mine and no copyright infringement is intended. Soo, enjoy!

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ

_PG-13 _

**6: Dance Of December**

**Abby:**

"What we can do," Caitlin told us at the student government meeting a week before Thanksgiving after school. "Is have a raffle." I'd told the other class officers about the plight of the Afghani women and the BSC all thought it would be a good idea to bring it up with the student government and maybe all of us could brainstorm ideas.

"Sounds good..." "So, when...?"

"There's a huge holiday dance coming up on the second Saturday in December," Caitlin went on. "We can ask our families and neighbors and similar stuff to donate."

"It's a perfect time since Thanksgiving's almost here and a lot of relatives will be visiting and all," I put in. We discussed it more until we got down times we'd collect raffle money, then Caitlin told us she'd make fliers on her computer at home and bring them in on Monday. With that, we adjourned.

* * *

**Mary Anne:**

I'd done some internet sleuthing and found an organization that was working to free these women, RAWA.

"So, all the money we raise can go straight to them," I told the others at Monday's BSC meeting, passing out printouts of the organization as well as the URL to it. "They're always looking for donations."

Abby had just told us that the student government would help and Caitlin was working on fliers. We planned out details, then moved onto T-day, which was just three days away.

Grandma Baker is coming on Wednesday. My family and I are having the T-day dinner at Granny and Pop-pop's place at the edge of town.

Claudia's family is spending Thanksgiving at her aunt's house. Her older sister Janine is flying in on Tuesday night from the Naval Academy. Abby's maternal grandparents are coming on Tuesday night also.

* * *

**Mona:**

Thanksgiving was quiet and peaceful. Amber came for the holiday and we all went over to Grandma's house in Hartford. I got Grandma, Mom, and Amber to donate to the raffle.

"God, I didn't know it was that dreadful there," Mom told me as she read over the RAWA literature as all of us sat around the kitchen table waiting for the turkey to cook.

We always get pre-cooked, so all's we have to do is put the stuffing in and warm it up. Few people I know would like to spend T-day cooking. Me, I can never wait to get to the eating part. Neither can Amber or Mom.

"So, what is this RAWA doing?" Grandma asked. "Is their aim to overthrow the Afghan dictatorship or just lift the restrictions on women there?" All of us looked at each other, not sure.

"I'd personally like to see it overthrown," Amber told us. "But the way things are going there, it doesn't look like it'll happen any time soon."

"That's barring any major event," Mom added.

"Like their dictator being assassinated?" I asked.

"I think...maybe if they moved into another country or something similar," Mom sipped her tea.

"A chilling reminder of what happened in the Second World War," Grandma told us. "I was just four, but I remember my parents talking about the Holocaust and about Pearl Harbor for a long, long time. It's a tragedy that it took a major war to free Germany, Italy, and Japan."

"I'd like to hope it doesn't come to war to free the Afghani women," I said. "But if RAWA can't improve things there..."

We all thought a minute and for the first time perhaps really wondered if it would come to a war in Afghanistan. The timer _ning_ed then, so Mom and Amber shot up to take the turkey out. It smelled delicious. I am thankful that here we have good food.

* * *

**Kristy:**

The following two weeks seemed to fly by. Most of the teachers contributed as well as Ms. Silverbein. Ms. Warren, our vice-principal, who was also the student government moderator, offered to put the money in a check to be presented to members of RAWA at the dance.

Abby contacted the local chapter of RAWA and it turned out there was one right here in Stoneybrook. They'd send out three representatives to come to the dance and collect the check.

That Friday before the dance, Claudia helped me put together an outfit that looked great. It's been ages since I went clothes shopping, which is one of my least favorite things to do in the world. Finally, we managed to put together a nice skirt and loose flowing top along with a wraparound belt.

"Heyy, you look great!" Claud grinned.

She and Stacey are the big clothes shoppers of our bunch, so they'd bought new dresses last weekend.

"Thanks," I grinned at her.

All of us BSC were headed there together on Friday night, December 8. I'm bringing David Amesworth and Claudia had a date too, but the rest of my friends as far as I knew were coming stag.

* * *

**Mary Anne:**

Dawn and I rushed upstairs to get ready for the big night. Stacey, Abby, and Anna would be coming in about an hour.

I was glad that the dark blue velvet dress still fit me from last year. Clothes shopping isn't really one of my favorite things to do, so I was glad not to have to go out to buy anything.

"Hey, looking forward to flying out to Iowa over the holidays?" Dawn called. "I am."

"Yeah..." I finished blow-drying my hair and put the blow-dryer away. "Grandma says it's really cold there and the sky is definitely a snow sky."

"I wonder if Connecticut will get snow," Dawn added.

"I hope so," I headed back to my room to get dressed.

* * *

**Stacey:**

It was the most formal dance we'd had in a long, long time. Some of the folks were there, including Mona's mom, and Abby and Anna's mom as well as Emily Bernstein's and Grace Blume's folks.

At around nine-fifteen, Caitlin's mom came in and Caitlin waved at her, then went over. My BSC friends and I had danced a while, then found a round table and ate and talked.

"Hey, none of you have seen Ms. Silverbein or Ms. Warren yet, have you?" Ms. Kast, our junior-senior guidance counselor asked as she passed our table.

She was holding her shoes. We shook our heads. She passed on, calling to someone across the room.

The drawing for the raffle as well as the presentation would be held at ten. People were still coming in and we'd just seen Ms. Zarrato come in with Ms. Byrd and some guy that appeared to be a husband of one of them.

"Wow, look at Mr. Bosini go!" Abby commented.

Sure enough, the Latin teacher was doing a wild dance with a woman we assumed to be either a wife or a girlfriend. Both of them were laughing up a storm.

At the slow songs, more couples got up to dance while at the fast ones, more people dance singly. David and Kristy did several numbers, both fast and slow.

"RAWA's here..." Mary Anne turned in the direction of the back of the auditorium. It was two women and one guy and they were dressed up too. Caitlin went over and shook their hands. By then, it was quarter to ten.

"I think it's time for me to go on..." Abby looked over at us and we waved her on.

As Student Relations Officer, Abby would be up on the stage helping to present the check and the door prizes. Right after the RAWA group, in came Ms. Warren. She looked a bit out of breath.

"Good, it hasn't started yet," We could hear her pant as she joined the class officers on-stage. "Could I have your attention, please?" Caitlin's strong voice come over the microphone.

Slowly, everyone quieted down. There was a movement by the wall and it turned out to be Ms. Silverbein and Ms. Fedders. I wondered if they'd ridden here together. Also with them was Lara Garrett and I wondered if they'd given her a ride.

It took a minute, but everyone slowly quieted. Ms. Fedders sat next to Abby and Anna's mom at their table and Lara quietly stood by our table. Mary Anne and I moved over to make room for her and waved her over. She sat between us.

Caitlin went on to name the door prizes. Some of the winners were here and some weren't.

Ms. Quebec won a laptop and she laughed, saying that she'd give it to her daughter for Christmas, who was a college senior. Maria Barento, who was at our table, won a gift certificate to the Silver Plate restaurant. She whooped and booked up on stage to get her prize.

"...and finally, last, but not least," Caitlin announced. "We have the total of cash raised..."

Ms. Warren went up and handed her the check. "...to the amount of...seven hundred thousand, three hundred and seventy-seven dollars!"

Everyone broke into whooping and applause and Caitlin presented the check to the grinning RAWA members. The RAWA members each gave a thank you talk, then we got back to the music, dancing, and feasting.

"Heyy, good you decided to come," Maria told Lara.

"Me too," Kristy put in. Lara had been bummed out over a breakup and for a while wasn't going to come.

"Yeah, me too," Lara nodded. "At first I wasn't going to, then I called Ms. Fedders, needing someone to talk to, and it turned out that she was there with Ms. Silverbein, who was riding over with her. So they offered me a ride."

She grinned a little. "It turned out that we nearly ran out of gas and had to stop at a gas station. Karen, who's driving, decided to use the drive-through, then discovers that she only has five dollars which would only fill her tank a little. On top of that, Ms. Silverbein forgot her wallet and she's looking in her purse and mumbling _Shhit_...

"She says, _Ohhh, shit _several more times. After dumping almost the entire interior of her purse on the floor of the car, she finds her credit card and hands it over to Ms. Fedders.

"She goes limp with relief when it accepts her card. Once we start driving again, Ms. Silverbein remembers that I'm in the back seat, looks over at me and blushes and says something like _Oh, excuse my Yiddish back there in the station_. I realize that she's embarrassed about saying _shit_ in front of me and I laugh a little and tell her that it's all right."

"Hey, teachers are human," I sipped my punch.

"Over seven hundred thousand, swell, you all!" One of the RAWA women called to our table once Abby and Caitlin rejoined us.

"Hope it helps!" Abby called.

"It will," she told us. "Every bit helps."

We know it won't be _the_ thing that freed the Afghani women, but we hoped it brought them one step closer to freedom. We then talked about the upcoming holidays and the holiday production which was in two weeks. Abby, Anna, Caitlin, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Mona are in it again this year.

"This year, Unconventional Sounds is back again, better than ever," Anna told us.

Unconventional Sounds is a band that Anna, Mary Anne, and Mona made up in the fall of our junior year and they've performed in our Christmas-Hanukkah productions as well as some spring musicals too. Claudia and Caitlin were doing the scenery art while Abby had and acting role just like last year.

"Then it's the holidayyy breeaak...holidaaay breeaak..." Abby sang in tune to the old song from the eighties movie _Christmas Vacation_.

We all laughed. We certainly are looking forward to that...then it will be the year 2001.


	7. News of the New Year 2001

Almost the last semester of the BSC's high school years! 2001 is beginning... 

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**7: News Of The New Year 2001**

  


**Mona**: 

I was glad Mary Anne got back from Iowa to be back here in time for New Year's Eve. Iowa had gotten several inches of snow and Stoneybrook had gotten a light powdering of snow for the holidays. Caitlin Giotti was throwing a huge New Year's bash at her house and invited all of us BSC, the ones who would be in town for the party. Some of us spent the night; in fact, a whole bunch of us did. Kristy's cousins Singer, Brenda, and Linda were there too. Stacey, Claudia, Abby, and Anna were still out of town, so when midnight came, we clinked glasses and cups in a toast for them too. It seemed like there were about fifty kids there and we crowded into the den to watch the ball drop in Times Square. I remembered how last year the BSC had been in New York City for Y2K and had seen the ball drop from a high office window.   
"...seven...six...five...four...three...two...ONE..." almost everyone chimed in along with the announcer and the crowd in NYC. "HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!" Kids whooped as the ball dropped and I giggled as I saw Kristy and David Amesworth smooch. Mary Anne and I hugged and I could see tears in Mary Anne's eyes. I can't believe it's the year 2001! I thought as I watched kids laugh, whoop, and hug. Couples also smooched. I even saw a couple on the couch with their hands into each others' clothes, whooping noisily and I wondered if they'd had too much to drink when they thunked to the floor. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~   


**Mary Anne**: 

The BSC and about a dozen other kids had stayed for the night, so we spread out sleeping bags all over the den and living room.   
"Four more months," Mona whispered after all the lights were out.   
"Yeah..." I knew what she meant. In four more months we'll be through with high school. Graduating. We've all sent out our applications for college. I've sent mine to Staten U. in NYC, Arizona U., Farar U. in upstate New York, and New York U. Dawn said she'd applied to Tucson U. in Arizona. She wants to go back west for college. Now we're all just waiting for responses, waiting to see where we're accepted. I turned in my sleeping bag and realized that my hand was in my mouth. I took it out quickly, realizing that I'd been nipping on my index finger nail. It's a good thing I don't bite my nails as much as I used to because if I did, they'd be bitten down by now with all the worrying and waiting.   
"Mary Anne..." Mona whispered. "You still awake?"   
"Yeah..."   
"I can't stop thinking about how it's all going to be so different next year."   
"Me either," I whispered back. "I really can't wait to be on my own, but at the same time, it's going to feel really weird not seeing you all on a daily basis."   
"Yeah...same here." Mona stretched out in her bag and I think she was looking up at the ceiling, but it was too dark to tell for sure. "I applied at Staten U., Hartford U., and Connecticut U. I just hope my grades are good enough and my applications convincing enough for me to get in....hey, you applied at Staten U., didn't you?"   
"Yes, I did," I whispered.   
"If we both get in and we both decide to go there, think we can be roommates?" Mona asked.   
"Hey, that's a possibility," I twirled the edge of my pillowcase. "I just hope we're both admitted."   
"You'll make it in," Mona told me. "You're always on the honor roll and a great student."   
"I guess..." I remembered ninth grade home ec class where I didn't do so swell that first quarter. "I just hope they can overlook the C minus I got in ninth grade home ec. I got into an argument with Ms. Brauman then. It was a stupid argument, but I would up with a C minus."   
"Oh, wow, that's too bad," Mona whispered. "I'm sure they won't turn you down based on one C minus in four years, considering that you've gotten mostly A's."   
"Well, at least they'll know that I don't plan to be a chef," I quipped and we both giggled softly. I've never been good at cooking and I don't like to cook, so that was part of the trouble. We whispered a few ponderings on our futures before drifting off to sleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I woke up around dawn having to pee. I slowly got up and walked around the bags where everyone else was still asleep, being careful not to trip over anyone. Once I got to the bathroom, I almost fell over Kristy and David, who were making out by the stairs.   
"Oh..." I gasped. "I didn't know you were up. Hi."   
"Hi..." They said softly.   
"Happy New Year," Kristy grinned.   
"Happy New Year." I swallowed. "I'm just headed to the bathroom...to pee and all." I groped my way to the bathroom and nearly collided with Tim Hastings, who'd also spent the night.   
"WHOOOOPS!" He hooted and laughed.   
"Ooops, sorry..." I muttered.   
"My, you're very polite," Tim grinned down at me.   
"Thanks," I blushed and ran into the bathroom, closing the door. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

We'd rolled up our sleeping bags and most of the other sleepover guests were headed home. Kristy, Caitlin, Mona, Dawn, and I cleaned up the kitchen and started out for a walk.   
"Heeey, can I get a lift from one of you?" Tim was near his car...or I think it was his parents' car. We looked at each other.   
"Where do you live?" I asked.   
"Back at Applespires Way," Tim told us.   
"I can," I offered. "Mona, Dawn, and I live near there." Mona and Dawn nodded.   
"Thanks."   
"We're going for a walk first," Mona told him. "Want to come?"   
"Sure." Tim trotted over to us. He walked next to me and we talked more about college and our futures. It was freezing out and there were patches of snow and ice that we had to dodge over.   
"This year is jumping by us," Dawn told us.   
"It is," Mona agreed. "Our last New Year's day as high school students."   
"Then look out, world, ready or not, here we come!" Kristy bellowed.   
"Yeah, the world ought to look out especially when Kristy steams her way into it next year!" Dawn joked.   
"Yep, I plan to revolutionize the world!" Kristy picked up a snowball and lobbed it at a tree. "After all, we changed Stoneybrook High for the better with last year's Operation Today's Good Youth."   
"We sure did," I agreed. I remembered how back in tenth grade, SHS used to be ruled by an In clique that harassed other kids, then at the beginning of eleventh grade, Abby spearheaded the campaign to deluge the editors of the local newspapers with letters on the negative image the media had of today's teens. That and having a lot of new kids last year gave us the pull we needed to weaken the In clique. The In clique broke up for good at the end of last year when they got into trouble for shoving and punching other kids at a baseball game in the SHS bleachers, an event we'd dubbed the Storm.   
"We're the conservative establishment's worst nightmare..." Mona intoned. "We'll be adults ready to change the world for the better!" We all whooped and hi-fived. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"You know, I have a thing for big brown eyes," Tim grinned at me as I pulled up to his house a half hour later.   
"Oh...thanks," I blushed. Mona and Dawn grinned at each other. I cleared my throat and reached over to open the car door, my heart pounding. As I watched him walk to the door and go inside, I sat a minute blushing more.   
"No way am I...getting a crush on Tim Hastings," I muttered.   
"Turn around?" Dawn asked. I did.   
"You do!" Mona crowed.   
"You are beet red, Mary Anne!" Dawn chimed in as I started home. "You and your giveaway face!" I smiled ruefully. I haven't felt that way about a guy since eighth grade when I had a crush on Logan Bruno. In ninth grade, however, we'd drifted apart and went through a really heart-wrenching breakup. I remembered how both of us had really wept. I thought I'd never get over the heartbreak, but eventually I did. Oh, boy, I thought. Am I willing to risk going through another possible heartbreak? I tried not to think about it on the way home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Mary Anne!" Stacey rushed up to me in the hallway that first day back from the holiday break. "How was Iowa and your grandmother?"   
"Swell and Grandma's doing all right," I slowed to let her catch up. "How was your holidays? How was Vermont?"   
"Great! Lots of snow, skiing," We laughed. All around us, was the post-vacation rush of kids getting re-organized for their classes after a long break.   
"This year is just flying by," I said. "I can't believe we're graduating soon."   
"Me either."   
"Heeeey!" Kristy, Claudia, and the others in the BSC caught up with us.   
"Hi..."   
"How was Virginia?" Stacey asked Claudia. "Was it cold?"   
"It was, but there wasn't any snow."   
Abby and Anna had gone to Long Island for their break, so they told us about it and they hadn't had a lot of snow there, just a light dusting.   
"We saw two of our old friends there," Anna told us. "Another cousin of ours, who's living in Newark came up to visit also.   
"Hey...speaking of cousins," Kristy put in. "Guess what...Singer's pregnant." Singer is our age and a high school senior like us.   
"What?" I gasped. "God...did she use protection?" I looked around nervously, hoping no one had heard. It didn't look like anyone had.   
"I don't know," Kristy shrugged as we opened our lockers. "Maybe she did, but some kids just don't get adequate instructions on the rubber or pill."   
"So...what is she going to do about the pregnancy...how far along is she?" Abby asked.   
"She thinks she's about three months, so abortion's out for her, it seems. And anyway, I don't think she wants one." Wow. Singer wasn't showing at the New Year's bash a few days ago, but then I heard some women don't show until late in the pregnancy.   
"So, does she want the baby or does she want to give it up for adoption?" I asked as I pulled out my German and economics books.   
"If she's going to put it up, I'd start looking now," Claudia put in as we closed our lockers.   
"She hasn't decided yet," Kristy told us. We carried out this conversation in low voices, making sure no one was listening in. No one seemed to be; everyone seemed too busy getting ready for class. We then parted to our homerooms. Kristy, Mona, and I are Ms. Fedders' homeroom, so as we walked down together, I thought things over. What would I do if I were sexually active and found myself pregnant and it was too late to have an abortion? I wondered. Part of me would want to keep the baby, but then if I did, I'd make sure I finished high school and got a good job to support the baby. But then, I want to go to college and be a teacher. It would take longer and be harder if you had a baby to worry about...good argument for giving it up. I love babies, but I know to have one full-time is a LOT of work. I just deal with kids when I'm baby-sitting and know that it's just an hour or a few hours, then it's over. Isn't it easy for many adults who've never been through it to preach what _they_ think is "proper?"   
"So...do her parents know about this?" Mona asked as we entered homeroom and sat. We were a bit early, so we had a few minutes to talk more.   
"Yes," Kristy told us. "Her dad nearly had a cow at first, then calmed down, but her mom was all right. Her mom wants her to at least finish high school. I think her parents want her to put it up for adoption, but aren't really saying it out loud. She just senses it from their conversation."   
"She's got a job, right?" I asked. Kristy nodded. "And she will finish high school?"   
"Yeah, she wants to," Kristy said. Just then the first bell rang and Ms. Fedders came in along with a stream of kids. We sat back, promising to discuss it further at our next BSC meeting. Ms. Fedders is one of my favorite teachers ate SHS. She was our English teacher for freshman and sophomore years and is the moderator for the SHS _Beacon_, which I'm the head editor of. She's a very good listener and is easy to talk to. Whenever I've had a problem in the last four years, I could always talk to her. I hoped Singer had someone like Ms. Fedders who she could turn to, somebody who could give her sound, non-judgmental, caring guidance about her baby. 


	8. A Glimpse of the Next Generation

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**8: A Glimpse Of The Next Generation**

  


**Stacey**: 

The BSC headed into New York City the first weekend in February. We decided to have our monthly sleepover there and it turned out to be a great time. Samantha picked us up from the station, we dropped off our overnight things at Dad and Samantha's place, then went cruising around town that Saturday. It was cold and windy, cold enough to snow, but the sky was clear.   
"Just think, Mary Anne and I could be living here next year," Kristy told us as we walked down to the harbor and peered at the Statue of Liberty.   
"Me too," Mona put in. "I'm thinking of going here for college."   
"Where...Staten?" Mary Anne asked as we meandered on back to the main city streets. Mona nodded.   
"Hey, I applied there too," Mary Anne grinned. "Maybe...if we both decide to go there, we could try to become roommates!"   
"Sounds good..." Mona told her. "Stace...you applied here, right?"   
"Yeah..." I hesitated. "But I haven't decided if I'm going to come here for college." College talk was giving me a strange feeling...like a sadness and a slight ache in my stomach. Kind of like I want to hold on to this year and that this year is flying by too fast for my comfort. The others sounded excited about college and adulthood...I wondered why I didn't feel too excited about it yet. Maybe later in the spring I'll look forward to it more, I thought as we walked along a high fence and wall with wintry sunlight glinting off it and making the sky seem a deeper blue. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

We ate at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner, then headed back to Dad and Samantha's place with a load of snacks and sodas. One thing I really was going to miss next year were the sleepovers. Would we ever be together, just all of us here like we were tonight? I wondered as we dug in and played Pictionary and Trivial Pursuit. Late that night, after hot chocolate, all of us drifted to sleep in a bunch in our sleeping bags. I lay awake a while. Even though it was the middle of the city with all the noise of traffic, I could still hear the wind in the background. Like the changes in our lives, I thought.   
"Stace...are you all right?" It was Mary Anne.   
"Yes...I guess so," I turned over some.   
"You seemed a little quiet tonight..."   
"I was just...thinking about how it's all going to be so different next year," I told her.   
"Yeah...it is," Mary Anne whispered. "I'm really going to miss this...the sleepovers, Stoneybrook, our charges..."   
"I was thinking about that this afternoon," I whispered, my throat feeling a bit tight. "I'm...not really looking forward to the end of this year...I wonder why I'm not more excited about college and leaving Stoneybrook."   
"Wow, I wish there was an easy answer for that one," Mary Anne said softly. "I can somewhat understand the feeling...I'm also going to miss Stoneybrook...and Dad and Sharon and you all. But I'm also looking forward to life on my own...having more freedom and responsibility. Just think, Stace, we'll be more in control of our lives and we'll be able to _vote_. Change this world for the better."   
"True." I tried to focus on that. It would be good having adult freedom and responsibilities.   
"Wait until graduation comes," Mary Anne reached over and touched my hand. We held hands a minute. "I know I'll be sobbing my eyes shut, but at the same time, I'll be looking forward to next year. So will you I'm sure." We drifted off to sleep holding hands and woke up the next morning with our fingers still partially entwined. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

We stayed until Sunday afternoon, then headed back. As soon as I got home and greeted Dad and Sharon, I headed down to do some laundry. I had a pile of sweatshirts and underwear that I needed for the week. If the week continued to be cold, the thick sweats with the hood would be good. It was still windy and there was a possibility of more snow next weekend. As I poured the detergent into the machine, I thought about how I'd be doing this regularly next year. I made a mental note to always keep quarters handy once I got to college since I know most laundries charge a dollar in quarters per load. As I waited for my clothes to get clean, I did my reading for next week's classes. My homework was done, so that was out of the way. I'd dried and folded my clothes and was coming up when Dad called over, "Mary Anne...Kristy's sister called...Kristy has the flu."   
"Thanks, I'll call her," I called back. I ran upstairs, put my things away, then dialed the Thomas-Brewer house. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mona**: 

Kristy wasn't the only one out with the flu. That week so were about a third of SHS. I saw Ms. Silverbein in the hall Monday afternoon and it looked like _she_ had a cold. Her hand had a small cast on it too and I wondered how she'd hurt her hand. Tuesday, Mary Anne woke up sick, then Dawn had to go home early later that day. Anna was sick by Wednesday. Half of the BSC were out sick and we needed some fill-ins meanwhile.   
"The Next Generation can fill in," Stacey suggested at lunch.   
"They're pretty much trained now..." I put in. So that's what we decided. It turned out Karen Brewer, Vanessa Pike, Becca Ramsey, and Charlotte Johanssen were available. They made it to our Wednesday meeting and we told them what we needed for them to substitute. Good thing we had them and had been training them. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Karen**: 

"So...who's keeping Mary Anne's notebook neat?" I asked Kristy on Wednesday night after the BSC club meeting when I went into her room to see how she was and to tell her that we were helping out with the BSC staff shortage. Kristy sat up a little, seeming to think. "Charlotte wants to be next year's BSC secretary, so...she can do it. Thank the stars you four could make it." Kristy reached over for a tissue and blew her nose.   
"Yeah...you really do get a lot of business," I held Kristy's hand a minute until she drifted back to sleep. I'd also taken a sitting job for Saturday and Charlotte took one for Friday night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Dawn**: 

I was mostly nauseous and had no appetite, but Mary Anne, Kristy, and Anna were in really bad shape for the next three or so days. Mary Anne was bedridden, so often, I went in and held her hand.   
"Who's subbing for secretary?" Mary Anne asked.   
"Charlotte," I told her. "She's organized like you." I smiled and she managed a weak smile back. "Remember once back in eighth grade when you were absent a couple of meetings, then when you came back, you were shocked at the sight of your notebook?"   
"Yeah..." Mary Anne whispered. Her voice sounded stopped-up and she had dark circles under her eyes. "I was absolutely horrified..." We laughed a little, then Mary Anne turned her face into her pillow and started to cough. I stroked her, softly rubbing her back just below her lung area.   


**Kristy**: 

It was the weekend before I could get up again. I'd heard that David had been sick also. So had my brother David Micheal. I staggered into the bathroom and groaned softly when I saw myself in the mirror. My eyes drooped and my dark hair was stringy and limp. I even looked like I'd lost a little weight. Hello, don't I look like a grainy passport photo! I smiled ruefully. But it was good to feel better. I was tired of staying in bed and wanted to get up and be on the go again. I called Mary Anne, Dawn, and Anna. Dawn and Anna had recovered more quickly than Mary Anne. Mary Anne was in my state...just coming out of it. I went downstairs to try to eat something.   
"Good, you're looking better," Mom smiled at me. "How're you feeling?"   
"Better." I pulled out an English muffin and put it into the toaster. Once I'd eaten, I was going to head over to Mary Anne's but Mom suggested, "Why don't you get some more rest?"   
"Oh, Mom..." I groaned. "I've been in bed three days. I was going to head over to Mary Anne's."   
"Tomorrow you can," Mom told me. "I think you should stay inside for today and take it easy. It's cold and windy out there." I considered pleading my case more, but decided it wasn't worth it.   
"I guess I can wait another day..." I shuffled up to my room again. It's definitely no fun having to stay in bed and being cooped up indoors.   
"Mom..." I called the next afternoon. "I'm going over to Mary Anne's...I'll be back in a few hours." Mom seemed to look me over as she considered it. I hoped to the stars above that she wouldn't say no and insist that I stay in today again. But to my relief, she just nodded.   
"All right, be careful, dear," she finally said.   


**Mary Anne**: 

I was so relieved that our former charges had filled in for us when we were so sick. I was glad to get out of bed, shower, and see Kristy. If I hadn't gotten out of the house sooner, I would have come down with cabin fever. Sharon and Dad had insisted that I stay indoors yesterday, even though I wasn't bedridden anymore.   
"Are you sure you don't want to rest another day?" Sharon asked me when I told her I was meeting Kristy. "You still looked peaked."   
"Not really," I sat at the kitchen table and ate a roll slowly along with some apple juice. My appetite was slowly returning. "I've spent enough time in bed this week and it's starting to drive me nuts." I know I still don't look that good. My hair was dulled by illness and my eyes were shadowed and looked almost...like a muddied brown instead of the usual dark brown that they are. When Kristy came in, we hugged. "Oh, it's so good to see you on your feet again," I told her.   
"It's good to see you okay again too," Kristy peered into the kitchen and said hi to Sharon, who was poring over a copy of _Architecture Today_ magazine. As we started out, Sharon jumped up and pulled a thick plaid poncho out of the hall closet.   
"Honey, it's cold out there." She put the poncho over my shoulders which was already covered with my thick jacket. "Be careful, dears. There's still a lot of flu out there."   
"Thanks," I gave her a rueful smile, then pulled the poncho over me. When we got to the car, both of us laughed, then wound up coughing. Kristy pulled out cough drops and handed one to me.   
"What a week," she said once we could catch our breath. We drove around for a while, then stopped at Fries Ahoy for drinks and fries.   
"It's so good to feel hungry again," I sat back, then had to cough more. We munched quietly for a few minutes. "I couldn't eat for days," I continued. "Dawn said she had a hard time holding anything down. How's..." I started coughing again. I knew I sounded awful. Kristy stroked me as I sipped my soda. "How's David...Micheal..." I finally got out before I went into another coughing spell.   
"Better. Mom still wants him to stay home for today." I could tell Kristy was still stuffed up. My nose was running and I had to blow it from time to time. "Dawn and Anna are better. They were at yesterday's meeting. Are you going to Monday's meeting?"   
"I hope so," I leaned back and stared at the slush on the edges of the parking lot. "If Dad and Sharon aren't too worried about me." I coughed again. I hoped that my cough was almost over because more than the cold part, I hate coughing.   
"Me too, If I can convince Mom that I'm over the worst."   
"From what Dawn tells me about Friday's meeting, it looks as if we have four members ready for the next generation of the Baby-Sitters' Club." I suddenly felt tears in my eyes.   
"Are you..." Kristy handed me a tissue. I took a few shuddery breaths as a few tears spilled over my face.   
"It's...it's...j-just strange to th-think that we'll be gone next year," I managed in a high whimper. "I'm really going to miss our charges...and clients...and you all..." I wiped my eyes.   
"Me too." Kristy had an odd wistful look on her face. "I think I'm going to be crying alongside with you when we say goodbye to our clients and usher in the next generation of the BSC. Is it my imagination or is this year really flying by?"   
"It is..." I struggled to catch my breath. We sat for a long while, thinking over this that cold February afternoon. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mona**: 

It was so good seeing Mary Anne and Kristy back at Monday's BSC meeting again! Kristy and Mary Anne thanked our former charges for picking up things and keeping the BSC running smoothly. Now things could get back to normal and not-so-swamped. Well, as normal as things could get when we're training the next generation of the BSC, which is a constant reminder that graduation is getting closer every day.   


**Kristy**: 

It was good that David Amesworth was feeling better too. David and I got Mary Anne and Tim to double-date the following Friday night at Aster and Dusker's in the virtual reality game of Shooting At the Stars. It's a game where you point at moving star images in a darkened room and shoot a laser beam at it. We had a blast and David and I buried Mary Anne and Tim.   
"You two have the sports," Mary Anne laughed as we tallied up the points. "That's why you always cream us at this." After Mary Anne and I had dropped the guys off at home later on, we headed back to Mary Anne's house.   
"Singer's going to put her baby up for adoption," I told Mary Anne about my stepcousin.   
"That's good," Mary Anne said. "Has she found an adoption agency?"   
"Yes, sort of," I nodded as I drove toward Burnt Hill Road. "Actually, she's doing a private adoption through a family friend who's a lawyer. This friend knows a woman who lives in Stamford and wants a baby. The woman's got a good job and a stable home. She's going to check it out to verify it. This lawyer was able to get a subsidized social worker from the state to check things out.   
"Good move," Mary Anne agreed. We both know how important it is that babies and even older kids be placed in good adoptive homes with a stable, loving parent. 


	9. College Callings

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**9: College Callings**   
  


**Mona**: 

"God, I can't get over how _warm_ it is for early March," I commented as my friends and I sat on a long table on the edge of the huge field just across the street from Stamford High.   
"Yeah..." Mary Anne nodded as we dug into our food, food from so many different countries that we'd lost count after the fifth sampling. We were at a huge international exhibit in Stamford that first Saturday in March and the day had turned out to be around...get this...seventy-five! And it was clear and sunny, perfect springlike weather. Well, spring would officially be here in three weeks. We'd spent a swell afternoon seeing all kinds of displays and demonstrations from all over the world, including Asia and Africa. We'd even seen a glass-blower from Eastern Europe. Then we'd gotten to the food and had loaded up. We'd also run into several other kids we knew including Caitlin Giotti and some of her friends and Emily Bernstein as well as several others. There were also a lot of Stamford and Earhart High students there and a bunch of us sat together to eat. We drifted from the wonderful weather, to different cultures and how their kids grow up to colleges and to graduation.   
"Next month is the measuring for our caps," Caitlin told us. Several whoops and cheers went up.   
"Ours too," a Stamford student added. We then exchanged our graduation dates. SHS's is on May 26. Earhart's is on May 28. Stamford High's...lucky them...is on May 20.   
"Come on, May 26!" Claudia whooped as we got ready to leave a while later. We all laughed then. We walked the long way to Kristy's mom's car and headed first home, then to Kristy's, where we were having our monthly sleepover. The spring weather held out all day and into the evening, so we sat out on the porch and talked a long time until long after it was dark. College came up and we knew any day now we'd start hearing from various schools we'd applied to.   
"...It's worth the try," Claudia was telling us in her reasons for applying to Carnegie U. in Pennsylvania. "I'm not really anticipating getting in, but they have an art program there. I also should hear from Granite U. any day."   
"It is..." Mary Anne nodded. "You all...I think I'm headed to New York next year. I've applied at New York U. and Staten U. I know Arizona U. was also on the list, but I don't think I'll go there after all. I also applied at Stamford U. to be on the safe side."   
"What sane college wouldn't take you or Stace?" I added with a laugh. "The academic powerhouses of our bunch?"   
"They might be booked," Mary Anne blushed a little and shrugged. I then noticed Stacey was sort of looking away and I thought I saw tears in her eyes. I then remembered her mentioning that she was having a tough time thinking about us leaving here and zooming off in different directions for college. I touched her arm softly and she turned a bit and tried to smile, I guess hoping none of us would notice her gloominess.   
"...to Connecticut U. as my 'safe' school," Kristy told us. "Fellowdean and Steinway should be getting in touch with me any day now." I remembered Ms Kast, our guidance counselor telling us last fall and even last spring that we should apply at one 'safe' college, a college that takes almost any student just to be on the safe side. There are lots of reasons some colleges reject you and it isn't always grades or extracurriculars.   
"I'm up for a scholarship at Aberdine," Stacey put in softly. "I'm...still torn between Vermont and New York...or going here maybe Stamford U."   
"I'd say go for it," Dawn put in. "You have a real shot at the scholarship." I was relieved and I could see Mary Anne was at hearing Stacey join in the conversation. At least she had applied for a scholarship, so we knew that she really did want to go out into the great big beyond out there. She maybe just needed our reassurances that we'd stay friends forever, I think.   
"I'd like to make a toast..." I said suddenly. "That no matter where we go in the world, we always stay friends and close forever..." we clicked cups, glasses, and cans in a toast. "The BSC forever."   
"The BSC forever..." We all murmured and I saw tears in Mary Anne's eyes and we sipped. By then it was late, so we headed inside reluctantly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Stacey**: 

The next week seemed to fly by. Several students then began hearing from colleges. Caitlin Giotti was accepted into Boulder U. in Colorado. Kristy didn't get into Steinway, but made it into Fellowdean. I was accepted into Aberdine, Stamford and New York U's. Claudia didn't get into Carnegie, but got into Granite U. She came into Wednesday's BSC meeting, whooping and happy and we all congratulated her.   
"The next order of business is getting the dorm settled and securing the financial aid," she told us. Mary Anne was accepted into New York U, Stamford U and Arizona U.   
"I'm squirming just waiting for Staten U," she told us at Friday's meeting.   
"Me too.." Mona added. She'd also applied at Staten U. She'd gotten her acceptance letter into Connecticut U. and Stamford U. There was just the nerve-wracking waiting, waiting...but then time seemed to be flying at the same time and it was mid-March.   
The whole year's flying by too fast, I thought sadly as I gathered with Kristy, Abby, Mona, and Mary Anne in the student lounge during free period, which was right before an assembly. There we spotted Lyric Woodward, who was closing a book. She is almost three years older than the rest of us because she lost a lot of school time taking care of her alcoholic mom. She came to SHS along with a throng of new students last year. She'd become an emancipated minor at sixteen and this year she'd turned twenty. We noticed that she had tears in her eyes.   
"What wrong?" Mary Anne asked softly.   
"Just..." she sniffled. "Reading the book." _Oh_, I mouthed, seeing the cover. _The Diary of Anne Frank_. I'd read it back in middle school and it was one of the saddest books I'd ever read.   
"God..." Mary Anne sat across from her. "I cried ten oceans of tears over that book. I think of how fleeting life is."   
"It brings back stuff my grandmother told me about the Holocaust," Lyric told us. "She...she had to hide from the Nazis in the war." Lyric swallowed and wiped her eyes. "Sh-she made it, thank goodness...b-but she had some friends...who didn't...after the war ended and she was freed, she came here...she's from Germany." We were quiet a minute, thinking how fragile life really is. Anne Frank was sixteen when she died. Just a year younger than us.   
"And she died just four short weeks before her camp was freed," Kristy put in softly. Mary Anne then started to cry softly and I put an arm around her, feeling tears in my own eyes. Several other kids came over and we talked back and forth quietly, thinking about our own lives now and the oppression that still existed in some other parts of the world. There were even two juniors with us that had read to book and they ended up in tears, which got Lyric crying again. That got me started crying for real. Then Kristy groped around and Mary Anne handed her a tissue and I was surprised to see _her_ in tears.   
"Hey..." Mona's eyes welled up and she needed tissues too. Most of us, about twenty of us in the lounge wound up in tears. Maybe it was the book combined with the awareness of the impending changes in our own lives. Just then the bell rang and we had to wipe away our tears and head to the assembly in the auditorium downstairs. Lyric and Mary Anne hastily handed out tissues and we blew our noses in a slapdash attempt to pull ourselves together.   
"Hey, sorry this made you all cry," Lyric whispered as we joined the crush of other students to the auditorium.   
"No problem," Mary Anne whispered. "I think it was kind of our catharsis for what's coming up soon." Some kids peered over at us as we sat.   
"Heyyy, what's wrong?" Claudia asked as she and the rest of our BSC friends sat around us.   
"A book we were looking at," I told her, attempting to blow my nose one last time, which felt heavy, clogged, and red.   
"_Dairy of Anne Frank_" Abby put in, wiping traces of tears from her own red eyes.   
"Oh..." Dawn nodded in understanding. Just then, Ms. Silverbein came up and blew in the mike and all of us slowly quieted down. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

It was quite a day, I reflected as I made my way to the newspaper staff meeting that afternoon, being that it was Thursday. We proofread our articles that day and they were ready for the printers for April's issue. Just one more issue after this one, I thought. Our graduation issue of the _Stoneybrook High Beacon_. I knew I'd really miss working on the SHS newspaper. I was going to miss Ms. Fedders and a lot of the kids I'd worked with here.   
"We're almost done with our yearbook," Claudia told me as we walked home together after our meetings. "Just checking some last proofs, then it'll be our graduation pictures and that's it for us seniors at _Visions_."   
"Yeah..." I had a small lump in my throat. Two more months. When I got home late that afternoon, I spotted the envelope along with the pile of mail inside the door. My heart skipped a beat when I saw the address from Staten U. I picked up the mail and put the rest of it on the hall table, then opened the envelope with shaky fingers.   
"YAAAA-hooooo!" I bellowed when I read that I'd made it into Staten U. "Yeee-haaa!" I kissed the envelope, knowing deep down that now this was the college I really wanted to go to. Sharon and Dad came home just as I was skipping a little in the living room.   
"Hi, sweetheart..." "Hi, honey..." they greeted, looking a little surprised to see me going nutty right there in the living room.   
"Oh..." I blushed. "Hi..."   
"Good news?" Dad smiled, seeing the letter I was holding.   
"Yes..." I held it out to them and they read it.   
"Oh, congratulations, dear," Sharon smiled at me. Just then Dawn came home and we told her the news. She'd gotten accepted into Tucson and had decided to go there next year.   
"I'm going to Staten U," I told everyone as we got ready to sit and eat. "I have to call..." Just then the phone rang and I reached out for it. "Hello..."   
"I MADE IT!" Mona yowled and I knew she'd gotten into Staten U. too.   
"Me too!" I told her and we congratulated each other. "So are we on for applying to be roommates?"   
"Definitely," Mona told me. We'd talk more at school tomorrow, so we hung up and I joined my family to eat.   
"Amalia called and told me she got into Tucson U," Dawn told us. "We're also thinking of rooming there together." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Dawn**: 

"Maggie made it into Arcata U," Amalia told me later on Friday night over the phone. "She also applied at Stanford U. She's applying to different scholarships, but isn't going to let on to her dad that until she's secured the scholarship."   
"I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she gets a full scholarship for all four years, so she won't have to worry about paying for the college she wants," I put in.   
"Sunny got into Sageworth U in San Francisco," Amalia added. "And Jill is headed to Edinburg in Michigan."   
"Good to hear that," I nodded, even though Amalia couldn't see me. "So we're on for roommates next year?"   
"Sure are." We talked a while more, then said good night and hung up. So, next year I was headed back to the good old Southwest to the sand and desert life. It was almost like going back to California, but without the long beaches. Adulthood's almost here, I realized as I headed upstairs. 


	10. The Nation's Capital

Just the usual disclaimer...any characters BSC fans recognize, are not mine (much as I wish Mary Anne were!); they belong to Ann Martin and any characters regular _Fabulous Five_ readers recognize are not mine either; those belong to Betsy Haynes. Enjoy!   


  


**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**10: The Nation's Capital**

**Mona**: 

Kristy and Claudia were the only ones of all of us in the BSC who have ever been to Washington, DC. So we along with most of the seniors leaped at the chance to spend spring break in the nation's capital. We pooled together the money from our BSC treasury, added whatever money we'd saved from our various part-time jobs and paid for our share of the trip. While we were gone, our trainees would run the club. Vanessa would be the stand-in for Kristy and the others would fill in just the way they did during the great flu epidemic back in February. Once that was set, all of us then went on the bus along with our classmates. The weather was warming up for good now. In some ways, Washington was a lot like New York City, but with more open grass.   
"Wow..." Stacey gasped as we arrived at the Mall and saw the Monument later in the week after seeing so many other things and even discovering a Hard Rock Cafe here. The Mall isn't like your usual cluster of stores. The Mall is a flat grassy area where concerts are sometimes played or rallies held. The Vietnam protests and the women's movement marches were held here back in the sixties and seventies. So were a lot of civil rights movements. Just a few years ago, a huge gay rights rally was also held here as well as a several pro-choice rallies. Walking around the Mall, we could see several memorials standing near the edges. The Monument itself is about as tall as the Statue of Liberty! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Later on that day, we ate a picnic lunch on the grass...most of the kids. I saw red hair in the distance and recognized Katie Shannon from my old school, Burkeview.   
"Katie!" I called. She looked around, bewildered a minute, then saw me, grinned and came over to us.   
"You all remember Katie Shannon, right?" I asked my friends and we all greeted each other. Katie sat with us and we talked. It turned out that her school, Burkeview, was also sponsoring a similar class trip.   
"I'm going to Georgetown U. next year," Katie told us.   
"Oh, good," I nodded. "Good luck there. I'm going to Staten U. in New York City. So's Mary Anne. So...how's everyone at Burkeview? How're the Five R Us?"   
"They're doing all right. Liza's deciding whether to go to Portlowe U in New York or Granite U in Minnesota and Christie's deciding between MIT and Aberdine. Whitney's headed to MIT and Dekeisha's picked New York U."   
"Hey, I'm going to Granite U next year," Claudia chimed in. "Maybe if Liza goes there, I'll see her there."   
"I'm thinking of Aberdine too," Stacey put in.   
"Is Whitney still seeing Curtis Trowbridge?" I asked. Katie nodded.   
"I'm going to miss Connecticut, but I think it'll be exciting living here," Katie told us.   
"I'm going to miss it too," Stacey looked down and twirled the straw in her soda. Of all of us, she was still having the hardest time dealing with leaving for college.   
"You know the BIG clique at Burkeview is defunct now," Katie went on.   
"So's the In clique at Stoneybrook High," I said. I hadn't thought about them in a long time, probably because one, they were out of commission and two because for most of this year, these past few months especially, we'd all been so absorbed in getting ready for graduation and making college plans. Memories of the cliques tyrannizing our schools were now like another time, almost as if it had all happened in another school altogether. "Last year, after the Storm, Ms. Silverbein suspended the troublemakers for two weeks and banned them from the stadiums and the teams."   
"Good for her," Katie sipped her soda. "At Burkeview. they didn't get suspended, but they were also kicked off the teams."   
"We're training the next generation of the BSC," Kristy told Katie. "Our former charges...some of them are in middle school now, so when we leave in the fall, they'll take over the club."   
"Hey, that's a great idea," Katie sat back. "I like how you gals know how to stick together. You all are like a legacy in Stoneybrook. The BSC legacy."   
"Thanks..." Mary Anne finished her candy bar. "Are things improving with the girls at Burkeview...they're being treated more fairly now...their sports getting as much attentions as the boys'?"   
"I think so," Katie nodded. "The girls' soccer team is getting more funding next year to be more on par with the boys' football team. They've needed supplies for years and for a long time, it was just the boys getting the supplies, but that's changing now."   
"Oh, fantastic," Mary Anne nodded.   
"Swell," Abby added. "Aaaall right, who's ready for the Air and Space Museum?"   
"Me!" Stacey and Claudia called.   
"Want to come?" Kristy asked Katie.   
"I'd love to, but my friends are on the way and I told them I'd meet them by the Monument. Bye, good seeing you again!" Katie called, standing up and heading in that direction.   
"Bye..." We all called as we stood up and gathered our things. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

Seeing the White House on Friday was a neat experience. I was half-hoping we'd see one of the Senators, especially Hillary Clinton, but we didn't They _never_ let the public in the living quarters of the White House and I don't blame them. Later on that night, the night before we were to head back home again, a whole bunch of us seniors caught the subway out to the Potomac River and had a picnic with a campfire and all. As we ate, I gazed at the blossoms all around. I know that Washington has a Cherry Blossom Festival every spring, but I think this year, it was over two weeks ago. There was still a sweet smell of cherry blossoms all over the area. In some ways, spring here was a lot like Connecticut, except our trees at home don't bud until May.   
"Can you imagine _living_ in the White House?" Stacey asked.   
"I just remembered something funny Mom told my sister and me about the Reagan years...back when the Russian-American summits were going on back in the eighties." Abby cracked up a little. "Mom read that Nancy Reagan was always criticizing Raisa Gorbachev and once Nancy was giving Raisa a tour of the White House. Raisa was really nervous and uncomfortable and a reporter asked her if she'd ever like to live in the White House and Raisa said something like that it was too much of a museum." We all laughed.   
"Yeah, Mom told me about that too," Kristy added. "Nancy had the reputation for making anyone nervous and uncomfortable. When Raisa said that, Nancy got all huffy and insulted." We whooped with more laughter at that.   
"I think the Reagans were sore because it was mostly the Gorbachevs who ended that awful Cold War," Dawn put in.   
"I'm so glad they did," I said softly. We'd studied the Cold War and the summits in history back in freshman and sophomore years. We got quiet a minute and I had to shiver thinking about the hostility between two countries. Human stupidity almost destroyed humanity. Even though the Cold War is over, there's still stupidity going on in other countries like the Middle East today.   
"Anybody want a dip in the river?" David Amesworth asked, breaking the mood some.   
"YEEAAAH!" Several kids jumped up.   
"Isn't it..." I started to ask. ..._kind of strong?_ I finished in my thoughts, looking worriedly over the huge river. Kristy saw my worried look and told me, "Hey, it sounds like fun. At night, the current's not too strong. Want to try?" she stood up and pulled off her sweater.   
"N-no thanks..." I stuttered, feeling worried lines starting in my forehead. Some kids took off their things and dove right into that dark, deep water. Kristy dashed in and as I watched nervously, she and David raced all the way down to the Virginia shore.   
"Don't worry, she'll be fine," Mona patted my hand. I tried to relax and let out a shaky breath, turning back to the group of kids who'd stayed on shore. Most of the group, however, was cheering on the Potomac swimmers. I peered out nervously from time to time. After about ten minutes, all the swimmers, I guess got cold and came back on shore and got dressed again. But I didn't see Kristy or David.   
"Where're Kristy and David?" I asked, trying not to sound shaky.   
"I think they're..." Caitlin finished putting on her shirt and peered out into the water. I fought back tears. What if they...just then I heard laughter on the far side of the shore and Kristy came running onto the bank, howling with laughter. David hauled out of the water and followed, bellowing with laughter himself.   
"I WON!" Kristy crowed.   
"I know..." David panted as they got dressed. "I left my shoes on." I was trembling and tears of relief spilled over my face. I felt a brief flash of anger, then relief washed over me as I ran over to Kristy and hugged her.   
"Hey, hey, what's the matter, Mary Anne?" Kristy asked, sounding surprised.   
"P-please...please..." I sobbed into her shoulder. "D-don't ever scare me like that again."   
"Heyy, it's all right..." Kristy stroked my hair.   
"Is she all right?" someone asked.   
"She was just a bit nervous about some of us going into the water at night," Mona told them.   
"Heyyy, sorry I scared you..." Kristy kept an arm around me as we sat down by the fire and I wiped my eyes. As it got later, we talked some more, getting quieter now. It was almost midnight by the time we headed back to the subway and headed back to our hotel. Tomorrow, we'd were heading back to Connecticut and next week, we'd be getting measured for our caps and gowns. Countdown to graduation, I thought as I drifted off to sleep.   
  
  
  
  


**_Author's note_: **I certainly hope you've enjoyed reading _The BSC Legacy_! The next six chapters will be their countdown to graduation, then there will be one final chapter which will be their graduation night. That will wrap up their high school years, as well as their senior year and this story. Soo, hang on for their countdown to graduation and their big final night of high school! 


	11. Countdown To Graduation, Part 1

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**11: Countdown To Graduation, Part 1**

**Kristy**: 

We got to school early that Monday morning and parted for our homerooms. Mona and Mary Anne are in my homeroom with Ms. Fedders, so we headed there.   
"Just one more month to go," I let out my breath. "I can't _wait_."   
"Me either," Mona added. Just then we saw Ms. Fedders down the hall walking with Ms. Silverbein, our principal. They were talking in low voices and Ms. Fedders seemed to reach out to Ms. Silverbein. Ms. Silverbein kind of nodded and Ms. Fedders touched her shoulder, then put an arm around her. I noticed Ms. Silverbein kind of stiffen. That's strange, I thought.   
"Did you see that?" Mary Anne whispered.   
"Yeah..." Mona nodded. I wondered what was going on between them. I'd heard through the grapevine that those two were close friends outside of school. I wondered if Ms. Silverbein was upset about something. Just then they disappeared around a split in the corridor. We looked at each other then, entered our room. It was hard to believe that in one short month, we'd be through with high school. We wouldn't be kids anymore and in the fall we'd be headed toward college and our _own_ places! As if to celebrate our coming of age, the weather had finally warmed up.   
"How's Singer's baby coming along?" Mary Anne asked me. Singer is my cousin and is having a baby next month. She's our age and just found someone to adopt her baby.   
"It's coming along great," I told her. "She can feel the kicks every few minutes." The kids slowly quieted down as Ms. Fedders came into the room.   


  


**Mary Anne**: 

Ms. Fedders looked over at all of us with a troubled expression and once again, I wondered if she and Ms. Silverbein were troubled about something. Maybe someone in one of their families died. I'd heard that Ms. Silverbein had had an enormous tragedy in her life when she was in her thirties. She was widowed and along with being widowed, most of her family...her older brother, parents, aunt, uncle, a nephew and niece had died when a building collapsed on them. All that is left of her family is her younger sister, one niece and her own three kids, who are now grown. It had to have been so awful for her. I hoped nothing more happened to her. "I'm leaving Stoneybrook High at the end of this year," was Ms. Fedders' announcement.   
"Ohhh..." "Whaaat...?" Several students gasped and I felt my own breath pull, then draw inward, inside my lungs. Leaving? Ms. Fedders won't be back next year? We all sat in shocked silence a minute. Ms. Fedders looked over at us, a little pale, then went on.   
"I've accepted a position in Maine as a publisher for _Scholastic Instructor_ and start there in August. I've loved teaching each and every one of you. But I feel a need for a change in my career. I wanted to announce this to you first, since all of you are seniors and will be gone next year anyway. I will announce it to my other classes as well." The room fell silent once again. I was stunned. My heart seemed to actually slow down and glancing at my classmates, I could see that they were shocked too. It was as if we were frozen in a paused video.   
"Shocked?" Ms. Fedders smiled weakly at us. We all nodded, our eyes wide. "I'm so sorry this has to startle you." She paused a minute before continuing. "I might as well tell you...this is hard on Ms. Silverbein...we're rather close as some of you can tell...so all of you take it easy on her, please." We nodded. "Promise all of you will. She's...an important person in my life."   
"Promise..." "Swear..." "Scout's honor..." We promised bit by bit.   
"Thank you, all of you." Ms. Fedders seemed to relax and managed to more genuine smile. It seemed like a rather sad smile, though and she let us absorb the shocking news for a few minutes before starting attendance. 


	12. Countdown To Graduation, Part 2

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**12: Countdown To Graduation, Part 2**

**Mona**: 

"...so, it's true that Ms. Fedders is leaving?" Stacey asked Mary Anne.   
"Yup," Mary Anne nodded. "We were all kind of shocked."   
"I saw some of the freshmen crying earlier today and wondered what was going on," Claudia put in. We were at a BSC meeting.   
"Wow, she sounds like a great teacher," Charlotte Johanssen put in. She, Karen Brewer, Vanessa Pike and Becca Ramsey are in middle school now and are in training to take our places once we leave for college at the end of the summer. They've been sitting in on our meetings and even accompanying us to our jobs so the kids can get to know them as well as giving them experience. We call them our officers-in-training. The BSC-in-training. Come September, they will be the BSC the Next Generation.   
"She is," Mary Anne told them. Ms. Fedders teachers sophomore and freshman English and is the moderator of the Stoneybrook High _Beacon_, which Mary Anne is on. Mary Anne is the head editor of the newspaper.   
"That must be why Ms. Silverbein..." Kristy muttered.   
"Ms. Silverbein did what?" Claudia asked, munching on a Hershey bar and passing around chips.   
"Mona, Mary Anne, and I saw Ms. Fedders and Ms. Silverbein walking down the hall and had an arm around her and Ms. Silverbein seemed to kind of stiffen," Kristy explained.   
"Ms. Silverbein's a friend of Ms. Fedders, so Ms. Fedders told us to take it easy on her," Mary Anne put in.   
"Poor Ms. Silverbein," I let out my breath.   
"I still can't believe it," Mary Anne said softly. "Everyone in our homeroom was so shocked ."   
"Where is she going?" Karen asked.   
"She got a job as a publisher for _Scholastic Instructor_ magazine in Maine," I told them.   
"So she's leaving the teaching field altogether?" Vanessa asked. "Think it's teacher burnout or something?"   
"I don't think so," Kristy said. "She say she likes teaching, but..."   
"I think she really wants to go into publishing," Mary Anne added. "It's probably her first choice." The phone rang just then and we took a couple of clients. We let Karen answer one call.   
"Speaking of first choices..." Stacey looked around. I couldn't tell if she was nervous or happy. She smiled a little, but her dark blue eyes seemed a little troubled. "It came through...I got the scholarship to the northeastern college of my choice."   
"Oh, conGRATS, Stace!" Claudia whooped.   
"Way to go!" Mary Anne screamed.   
"YYYYESSSS!" Kristy yowled and all of us hugged her.   
"Thanks..." Stacey said softly once we'd settled down. "You all...I'm a bit...apprehensive about this...leaving Stoneybrook...us starting over..."   
"Change is scary," Mary Anne said softly. "I can't wait to get out of Stoneybrook and out on my own, but I sometimes have a few butterflies myself." I got the feeling Stacey was having the toughest time adjusting to us moving from high school to college. Mary Anne and I had both been accepted to Staten U. in NYC and were talking about rooming together. Mary Anne had a partial scholarship there and I was waiting for my financial aid forms to be processed. What a big step we were headed for. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Stacey**: 

"...I'm so proud of you, darling," Mom told me as we ate dinner that night.   
"Thanks..." I murmured. It's so hard to think about leaving her in the fall. Mom and are really close, especially since she and my dad divorced when I was in seventh grade. As she got up to get the dessert, I looked after her fighting back tears. My friends were so anxious to be away from Stoneybrook. I wasn't. I guess I was looking forward to college and eventually being independent, but I didn't feel ready to leave Mom behind. I'm still deciding between MIT, Aberdine U. in Vermont and New York U. in upstate New York. I had the option of going to Stamford U., which was nearby, but I got the feeling the Mom wanted me to try something further away. Would she feel alone with me gone? I worried that I'd feel adrift without Mom and my friends around. I was so at home here, seeing my friends every day, the same kids I'd been friends with since middle school. I'd have to start over next fall. Sure, we'd keep in touch, but we wouldn't be able to see each other every day, not even every week. Was I ready for that? I wished one of the other BSC was headed to one of the same colleges I'd been accepted to, but none of them were. Mary Anne and Mona were going to Staten U. in New York City and had already sent in their reply to their acceptance letters. And Kristy would be right near them at Fellowdean U. and was getting ready to send in her response. Abby and Anna, our two associate BSC members, were headed to New Jersey. Anna had considered Julliard, but wanted to go to Trenton Music Academy instead, partly to be near Abby, who was headed to Dexter U. Claudia was going to Granite U. way out in Minnesota. I wished I had her daring. She'd be far out in the midwest. Dawn, another associate member of ours and Mary Anne's stepsister, told us she had decided to go to Tucson U. in Arizona. Dawn's parents are divorced and her dad lives in California, where she's originally from, so she won't be too far from her dad, stepmom and little sister. So, where would I go? I worried as we ate dessert. I used to want to head to NYC, where I lived until I was in seventh grade, but that idea had faded. Much as I love New York City, I didn't want to live there now, although I'd make sure I visited.   
"Are things all right?" Mom asked softly. I was quiet a minute. "You seem kind of blue for somebody who just won a scholarship."   
"I guess..." I hesitated. "Just thinking about the big changes coming up...in my friends' lives and mine. It's going to feel weird not seeing them every day."   
"It'll be hard," Mom told me. "But you'll find a niche in college. And as strong as your friendships are, they'll last the distance." I hope so, I thought when I headed upstairs. I did my homework and just before I went to bed, I peered out into the spring night. The trees were blossoming in really pretty pastel colors and when I opened the window, I could hear crickets chirping. Like a beacon ending our childhood and high school years, I thought sadly. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Claudia**: 

Mona and Anna raced to catch up with me after school later on that week and we headed to the auditorium anteroom to work on prom preparation. Just two more weeks, I thought.   
"Ready to roll?" Caitlin Giotti asked when we came in. Caitlin's the president of the senior class.   
"Yeah..." we all nodded and joined the others, who were most of the prom committee. It's about ten of us and we've been working on decorations, food, and location and other things. We're having it at Fairview Gardens down the street from Stoneybrook Community College. It'll be a Caribbean theme and will have a DJ. We'd put out a vote to the senior class and the DJ had won out over a band big time. Now we're working on food and decorations, which is the fun part.   
"...think a buffet style will be better," Susan Perry was saying. "That way, we could just get whatever we felt like. It might be a bit messy, but there wouldn't be any waiting around to be served and everyone could fix their food the way they like it."   
"Sounds good," Mona put in. Others chimed in agreement. So we decided on a buffet-style. It's going to be like a formal dinner with chicken, veggies, and desserts. I hoped we remembered to order a lot of chocolate, since Mary Anne and I are both chocolate fiends. I wondered if Mary Anne was bringing Tim Hastings to the prom. She and Tim have been going out since January, but lately, I think they've been having trouble. I knew Kristy was bringing her boyfriend, David Amesworth. Those two are still a hot item so far. I myself am toying with the idea of asking Jim Masley, a junior, or going stag. Stacey, Abby, Anna, and Mona are going stag. The BSC is making plans to all go together. It seemed like it was shaping up to be a fun night. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Kristy**: 

"Sure they'll let you in wearing that?" David leaned back as I held up my skirt and top for the prom.   
"Sure, why not?" I asked. The skirt was a sequined leather while the top was white and loose. It could pass for a full dress. As you might guess, I only wear dresses in cases of dire emergencies. I would wear jeans, but I don't think the people at Fairview Gardens have progressed _that_ far. Maybe when our kids come of age. Oh, well.   
"You'll be a first," David leaned back on my bed and laughed. I put the outfit away and laughed along with him, falling onto the bed. I was sooo glad I found this outfit quickly since I detest clothes shopping. "So, you're definitely going to Fellowdean next year?" David asked.   
"Yup," I nodded, leaning close to him. "And did you decide between Hartford U. or Connecticut U.?"   
"I think it'll be Hartford U," David nodded.   
"That's good," I stroked his hair. "Thank the stars for e-mail."   
"We sure can keep in touch these days," David smiled.   
"Ahhh, the nineties and twenty-first century wonders," I sighed. We lay there a long time, whispering things back and forth. No one else was home yet, so we had the whole house to ourselves. Boy, I couldn't wait to get out of Stoneybrook. I'd leave and only come back for visits and that's it. Look out, world here I came, ready or not, along with my friends. 


	13. Countdown To Graduation, Part 3

This one's kind of long...enjoy! 

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**13: Countdown To Graduation, Part 3**

**Mary Anne**: 

"...so you're going to Staten U. after all," Tim sat down in the kitchen.   
"Yes," I told him, getting out sodas and handing him one.   
"Mary Anne, I thought we talked about this and you were going to apply to Connecticut U. with me," Tim's green eyes peered at me as I sat and sipped my soda.   
"We did talk, Tim, but I never promised you I'd go to Connecticut U.," I told him. Why was he giving me a hard time about this? Did he really expect me to trail him to go to Connecticut U. and shelve my dream of going into New York? He knew I wanted to go to New York. "Remember I told you I'd _look_ at Connecticut U. to see if they had a good teachers' and education program. But they don't, Tim and you know I plan to be a teacher."   
"There's more to college than just planning a career, Mary Anne!"   
"Dammit, I know that!" This conversation was getting harder by the second. "But we can keep in touch. There _is_ e-mail, you know and New York City is what...about two hours away from Connecticut U., which is close by here."   
"It's not going to be the same," Tim argued. "When would I see you? How would we make our dates on weekends? Cyberspace?"   
"Vacations," I stood up and tossed my can into the garbage. "We'll see each other during winter and spring breaks and at Thanksgiving..."   
"Three times a year, that's fantastic for keeping a relationship strong," Tim put in.   
"Goddammit, it doesn't take spending every weekend together for our relationship to last!" I exploded. "Hey, my stepsister, Dawn lived in the west Coast for two years and I only saw her at vacations, but our bond stayed strong. We adjusted and we're still close."   
"It's different with us," Tim insisted. My stomach tightened and somehow this brought me back to ninth grade when I'd gone out with Logan Bruno and he'd become possessive and I'd had to break up with him. Was Tim another Logan? I hoped not! "I'm not a person who's satisfied with e-mails and an occasional phone calls. Mary Anne, you still can major in teaching at Connecticut U. Come on, I'm not asking you to drop out of school or anything; all I want is for us to stay together for college."   
"Oh, Tim..." I felt tears well up in my eyes. This was awful; I never thought he'd act this way about my going to a different college. It was hurting my heart. Looking at him now, he reminded me of Logan all over again. I didn't think I'd be happy at Connecticut U. The education program at Staten U. was suburb and not only that, I could minor in psychology, which would be my back-up career if teaching didn't pan out.   
"Well..." Tim stood up and dumped his can into the trash. "If you have your whole life mapped out...there doesn't seem to be much room for me, does it?"   
"Oh, Tim, please don't..." I pleaded. "There is...it's just..." Tim was important, but there were other things equally important and if he couldn't see that, my heart was going to be broken. I hoped it wouldn't come to that. I watched Tim leave, then stood by the door and cried for a long time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

Sharon, Dawn, and Dad came home at the same time and we started dinner together. Because all of us are busy during the week, we're lucky if we eat together more than a couple of times in the week.   
"Is everything all right, Mary Anne?" Sharon asked softly. I shrugged.   
"What wrong?" Dad asked. Finally, I told them a little bit about the problem I was having with Tim.   
"Good for you," Sharon nodded. "There are ways to keep in touch." We kept eating and exchanging little things back and forth. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

"Are you sure you want to head to school today, Mary Anne?" Dad peered at me closely the next morning. "You didn't eat much breakfast and you're still upset over Tim..."   
"I'll be fine, Dad," I hoisted my backpack over my shoulder.   
"Mary Anne, try to eat a little more," Dad told me. "Don't push yourself on an empty stomach."   
"Goddammit, Dad, I'm almost eighteen!" I felt a well of frustration in me at being treated like a kid. "I don't need to be fawned over!" Dad and Sharon peered at me a long minute.   
"I'm sorry, but I'm almost an adult now and can decide for myself when I need to stay home." I backed away, feeling stifled.   
"Well..." Dad seemed a bit startled, but not upset.   
"Hey, your dad didn't mean to treat you like a kid," Sharon soothed. "He's just concerned."   
"Thanks, but I'll be all right," I said more softly, feeling bad about raising my voice to them. "Please, please trust me on this."   
"We do," Dad told me softly. "I'm still getting used to the fact that you're not a kid anymore. And it's kind of hard."   
"Thanks," I whispered, touched that at least he was making an effort. I hugged them both and left for school. My parents were struggling to adjust to Dawn and me being almost grown and I got the feeling a lot of other parents were too. I wondered if any of them knew how badly we couldn't wait to move away from here. I, for one, was sick of living in Stoneybrook. I was kind of tired of Connecticut and I had to get that through to Tim, or our relationship was in trouble. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mona**: 

"It's sooo hot already and it's not even mid-May yet," I sighed, fighting off sleepiness as Claudia, Caitlin, Anna, and I got back into my mom's car after another meeting with the Fairview Gardens people and bringing over more decorations and food.   
"It is," Caitlin agreed. "Well...I think we have almost everything there for the big night." I gave the others a ride home and on the way, the conversation drifted from prom preparations to college. "Did I tell you I'm going to Boulder U. in the fall?" Caitlin told us.   
"Wow, that's great!" Claudia whooped. "Just think, you'll have mountains of snow every winter!"   
"Got a partial scholarship there."   
"Congratulations," Anna and I put in.   
"And that reminds me that I'm still waiting for the papers to my financial aid to come through," I added.   
"Staten U, right?" Claudia asked me.   
"Yup." I nodded.   
"So am I," Claudia told me. "In my case, it's for Granite U."   
"Hey, you'll have plenty of snow too, Claud," Anna put in. "Minnesota has great winters. Mona, Mary Anne's going to Staten with you, right?"   
"Yeah." I nodded. "We're going to try to be roommates." A few weeks ago, Mary Anne won a partial scholarship that would pay most of her tuition. She also applied for financial aid as well. College sure isn't cheap.   
"Hey, you two are lucky," Caitlin told me. "It's great rooming with someone who you know. The rest of us...are all on an unexplored frontier." We all laughed. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I zeroed straight for the mail table as soon as I got in and sure enough saw an envelope from Staten U. I dashed upstairs, hoping it was my financial aid papers processed.   
"YEEEEE-Haaaaa!" I whooped when I opened it. It was! It turned out I was eligible for them to cover _two_-thirds of my tuition plus half of the room and board! Wait until I told Mary Anne and Mom about this! 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mona**: 

"That's great, darling," Mom told me at dinner when I told her about the financial aid packet coming through. I'd called Mary Anne and she said she'd gotten hers also. So now we can proceed with the housing plans. I knew Mom was relieved also. My sister, Amber is in her third year of college also on financial aid. Mom has a better paying job now than she did when I was in middle school, but college is so expensive that we could still use the help. Mom is widowed and raised Amber and me alone since I was in fifth grade.   
"I'm going to miss you, Mom," I said softly. "Are you going to be all right here by yourself?"   
"Sure," Mom helped herself to more beets. "The house is going to seem empty, but we'll see each other for holidays and things. I love you and want you to follow your dreams wherever they take you."   
"Thanks." I'm planning to be a veterinarian when I'm through with college. Staten U. has an excellent vet program. They also have an good teaching and psychology program, which is why Mary Anne is planning on going there. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Claudia**: 

"Yaaaa-HOOOO!" I bellowed a few days later when I opened my envelope to find out that my financial aid for Granite U. had come through. NOW I could start some serious planning!   
"It's the financial aid?" Mom called from the kitchen, where she and Dad were finishing dinner.   
"Yeah." I booked into the kitchen and showed them.   
"Good, good..." Mom looked the letter over. "Two-third of the tuition covered." She reached over and gave me a hug. "I'm going to miss you when you leave for Minnesota in the fall."   
"Congratulations, sweetheart," Dad hugged me from the other side. "Janine's coming up the Wednesday before your graduation."   
"Good." I couldn't wait to see my older sister, who is just finishing her junior year at the Naval Academy in Virginia. Next spring, she'll be graduating and will be an officer in the Navy. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Kristy**: 

I invited David over for dinner that night after it was okay with Mom.   
"...so we'll drive up to Hartford U. for Charles' graduation and will be back on Saturday," Watson told us. My older brother Charles is graduating from college while I'm graduating from high school. Sam, another brother of mine, has one more year to go at Connecticut U., then it'll be his turn next year. Karen and Andrew, my younger stepsiblings, would be over on Friday night for the graduation, then would stay on for my high school graduation at the end of this month. God, it's soo hard to believe my friends and I are almost ready for college. I can't WAIT to get out of Stoneybrook and head to Fellowdean and be on my _own_. Mary Anne, Claudia, Dawn, and Mona felt the same way. I think Stacey's having more trouble with the idea of leaving Stoneybrook, though. She says she's worried about her mom being alone and that she's not sure if she'll adjust to all the changes. If there was just some way I could help her. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Dawn**: 

I'd gotten my financial aid through for Tucson U. Now, I was set to go! I couldn't wait to get back to the dry desert Southwest with the cacti and palm trees. Mary Anne can't wait to head to the Big Apple in the fall. Boy, I was going to miss her so much! Mary Anne feels the same way. I was finishing an English essay when a soft knock sounded at the door. It was Mary Anne and she came in and flopped on my bed.   
"The home stretch of our high school years," I sighed.   
"You got that right," Mary Anne said with a sad, sort of ironic smile and turned over and looked at the ceiling. "Have you been thinking about...how our lives change so fast? I mean, when we graduated from middle school and started high school, all of us were nervous about that big change and growing up and everything. Now we're facing an even bigger change...from high school to being _adults_ in college and being on our own and planning our careers...and the rest of our lives."   
"Yeah..." I lay down beside her. "Mind-blowing. You know what this reminds me of, this whole transition in our lives? The waves changing in the ocean. When I lived in California with my dad and stepmom, I'd sometimes just watch the waves on the beach and bit by bit the waves would change the water, yet some things about the water would stay the same, like the texture and it being salty."   
"Let's be like the ocean," Mary Anne's eyes became damp. "Promise me our relationship will stay strong even though we're thousands of miles apart and going through even more changes in our lives."   
"I promise." I nodded. We linked hands for the longest minute, staring at the ceiling. I thought over a lot of the changes the BSC had been though since middle school...starting high school, then Shannon Kilbourne moving away, me being in California, Logan Bruno and Mary Anne, who used to be an item, breaking up in the spring of ninth grade, going through adolescence and acne and puberty, dealing with the IN clique in tenth grade when they threatened to take over Stoneybrook High, then our old farmhouse burning to the ground that summer and losing much of our old stuff, then having it re-built while we rented another house, then in eleventh grade, Abby and me becoming associate members of the BSC, then Anna joining, me coming back here to Stoneybrook, Logan moving to Bridgeport, Mona moving FROM Bridgeport here and joining the BSC, then Abby launching the Operation Today's Good Youth where most of us sent letters to editors of various papers suggesting how the largely false image of today's youth could be improved. Operation Today's Good Youth weakened the IN clique and thanks to Ms. Silverbein, who also launched a conflict resolution program at SHS, the IN clique eventually broke up, especially after a shoving incident they caused in a baseball game at SHS. Then us being seniors and getting ready for college and in three short weeks, graduating and in the fall leaving Stoneybrook for college and the next generation of the BSC taking over the club. I knew there would be many, many more changes ahead and I had confidence that even though the BSC would be in different parts of the country, our friendship would stay strong. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Stacey**: 

"My apprehension about next year is really growing," I told Mary Anne the next day as we wove our way among the students to our lockers to get our books. "I keep trying to vision next year for me and coming up with this blank space."   
"Wow, that must be tough," Mary Anne said softly, her brown eyes sympathetic. "It's scary. I myself am looking forward to New York City next year, but I'm a little scared too...about finding my niche...about Dad and Sharon being alone in the house without Dawn and me..."   
"Thanks," I managed a shaky smile. "Hey, I've got my honors physics final today, so I'll see you later."   
"Good luck," Mary Anne waved. "I have my English final tomorrow."   
"Good luck with that," I called as we parted. Several of us kids finished the coursework early, so they're letting us take our finals early instead of coming in on finals week, which is the third week of May, that Monday and Tuesday. I was taking the physics today and the calculus tomorrow. I'm also one of five runners-up for valedictorian. A little overwhelming, but it made me proud at the same time. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

The down side of finishing the finals early is more free periods, which meant for me, more time to brood over next year. Swell. I was reading in the student lounge when Mary Anne, who'd finished her English final early, came into the hall and sat next to me.   
"Hi..." I whispered.   
"Hey..." Mary Anne smiled a minute, then her face fell and she looked gloomy. "Good book?"   
"Yeah," I told her, putting the book down. "_Borders of the Soul_."   
"Sounds interesting."   
"And it's keeping me from thinking too much about what I'm going to do about...what I was telling you this morning."   
"Yeah..." Mary Anne's face drooped again. Then she gave a short ironic laugh. "Isn't it weird? We finished our exams early, so I have more time to brood over how sick I am of living here and more antsy about getting away to New York."   
"I hear you. I was thinking the same thing, only I'm having a hard time dealing with the whole idea of us leaving Stoneybrook." I fought back tears. "I don't know how I'm going to say goodbye to my mom...being away from all you guys..."   
"I know..." Mary Anne's eyes filled up and she reached over and held my hand. "I'll be glad to be out of Stoneybrook, but at the same time, I'll miss you guys like crazy. Thank the stars for e-mail. Dawn and I were talking last night about all the changes in our lives and she says it that our friendship _will _stay strong despite us being miles apart." I nodded, figuring that she made sense. After all, the three years that Dawn lived in California, Mary Anne managed to stay close to her.   
"Let's take a walk around SHS," I suggested. "Just for old times' sake." Mary Anne liked the idea, so we walked down the halls, all over.   
"Remember our first day here?" Mary Anne asked.   
"Yeah," I nodded. "It seemed like a jungle since we didn't know our way around here."   
"And the halls seemed _huge_ compared to SMS," Mary Anne added. "I remember each of us getting lost at least twice." We were heading toward Ms. Buchwald's room, where Mary Anne and I had had the same homeroom with her that year.   
"And I'll never forget when those guys tried to harass us..." Mary Anne's eyes traveled toward the wall where a row of guys had stood that first day and commented on the girls going past and Mary Anne and I walked by and they'd commented on us and we'd both gotten mad and told them off! They'd been rightfully ashamed and mumbled apologies and slunk off and had never done that to any other girl again. SHS has two floor, so we walked along both floors, going over memories of these past four years.   
"This is where you, Dawn, and Kristy caught up to me and told me that more letters had come out in the Operation Today's Good Youth," I chuckled. "We were soo excited and I'll never forget how all of us ran outside and saw the reporters."   
"Right after Thanksgiving in junior year," Mary Anne put in. "I remember there was a light snow and I was taking notes for an article in the _Stoneybrook Beacon_ and the photographer took our picture and had all of us say _letters_. Ms. Silverbein stood by us all the way. I also burst into tears and dropped the pad." We both chuckled at the memory.   
"Abby was something in her courage to start that whole thing," I added as we headed back toward the student lounge. On the way, we passed by the trophy case and looked at the and the paraphernalia from OTGY, including the letter Hillary Clinton had written us that January. We passed by Ms. Fedders' room and heard voices inside. At first, I thought it was Ms. Fedders talking to a student.   
"...don't worry, our bond will still be strong, Leah...just like when you taught in New York while I was here in Connecticut."   
"I...know, Karen...I guess...it's just going to be hard not seeing you here..." It was Ms. Silverbein and she sounded like she was in tears! Passing by, we saw Ms. Silverbein there and she was wiping her eyes. Ms. Fedders handed her a tissue and put an arm around her. We scurried on past, not wanting to eavesdrop any more than we had.   
"Ohh, God, she's having a hard time with this," Mary Anne said softly. "I have the feeling Ms. Silverbein's going through a rough time with Ms. Fedders' leaving."   
"Kind of like me," I whispered. "Like I'm having a tough time dealing with not seeing you all as often next year."   
"Hey, it's something you and Leah...I mean Ms. Silverbein have in common," Mary Anne blushed at having accidentally called the principal by her first name. "I wish there was something we could do to make this easier for her...and you."   
"I'm not sure we can," I shook my head. "I mean, I guess like Ms. Fedders said, we can just keep taking it easy on her." We were quiet a long minute.   
"I wish I could tell Tim this," Mary Anne said under her breath.   
"What?" Mary Anne took a big breath and told me about the problem she was having with Tim not wanting her to go to a separate college. As she did, tears welled in her eyes.   
"God..." I let out my breath. "If he's so damn anxious to have you near him, then why didn't he apply to Staten U.?"   
"That's what I'd like to know," Mary Anne shrugged. I'd had the feeling that Tim and Mary Anne were having trouble, but it seemed that Tim was insecure enough to not want to give Mary Anne room to grow in her own path. It reminded me of a boyfriend she'd had in eighth and ninth grade, Logan Bruno. Logan had gotten possessive and tried to hog up her free time and as a result, they broke up in April of ninth grade. It had really broken Mary Anne's heart, because she had really liked Logan. The truth was, they'd both cried, but their values were just incompatible and they would have just gotten more miserable if they'd stayed together. I'd heard that Logan had moved to Bridgeport before junior year and was now at Burkeview High. I just hope Mary Anne wouldn't wind up with another broken heart, but the way things were going, it looked like she would. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

Tim and I walked up to the Orbach Grill, both of us deep in thought. The night was warm and I looked around at the stuff blooming, even along the sidewalks of the main pike where a lot of restaurants are. Once we sat down and ordered (thank the stars Tim's never tried to order for me without asking what I wanted like Logan Bruno sometimes did!), Tim asked,   
"Soooo, did you think about next year...what we're going to do?"   
"Yeah..." I nodded. "And I'm definitely going to Staten U. next year."   
"God...Mary Anne..." Tim let out a disappointed breath.   
"I'm so sorry, Tim, I know you're disappointed and wanted to go to the same college as me."   
"So this is it, huh..." Tim said quietly.   
"This is what?" I felt my frustration mounting again. "This is what?"   
"It seems like you've made up your mind that Staten U. is more important than us. "   
"Tim, don't talk that way!" I pleaded, my brows knotting up into a worried frown. "It doesn't have to be it for our relationship. Haven't I told you that we can keep it strong. Just like my friends and me...we're all going off to different colleges and that isn't just _it_ for our friendship. We don't have to be together all the time for us to stay close."   
"Mary Anne, you're not even facing reality, you're living in an idealistic dream world about how if our relationship is oh-so-strong, we can stay close just seeing each other twice a year."   
"Hell, if you were so anxious about us staying together, why didn't _you _apply to Staten U?!" There it went again! I am an idealist, but what wrong with it?! Someone had to be the dreamer or this world would never improve. I wish some of the cynics and realists of the world wouldn't ridicule idealists as being "out of touch with reality." Sure, _their_ reality.   
"Our food's here," Tim told me shortly. The waitress set down our food, looking at us with a curious expression. I got the feeling she was thinking two teens in love and bickering. I blushed and tried to eat something. But it was hard to swallow. Tim apparently didn't have trouble because he dug right in. Once we'd eaten some, I asked Tim once again, "Why didn't you apply at Staten if you were so anxious for us to be together?"   
"Because I've never liked huge cities, New York, especially," Tim told me. "What's it about New York that you have?"   
"I've always felt like I was a New Yorker at heart," I took a sip of soda. "Remember I told you that a few days after we met?"   
"I...guess," Tim shrugged. "I figured it was just an idea you had, but didn't think it was that serious." We finished eating in silence, then split the bill. Tim peered over at me several times and I got the feeling he wanted to say something more. Sure enough, he did. "Mary Anne..." he sipped the last of his soda. "i think I'd better tell you something."   
"Yeah...?" I felt my heart skip a beat, not sure I really wanted to hear it. I had a bad feeling about this.   
"I think...we'd better call it quits."   
I actually jumped a little. "So...you want to break up with me..." my voice came out sounding a little strange, almost hoarse.   
"It's..." Tim seemed to be thinking of what to say. "It's just that we have incompatible needs and wants...it looks like you don't want the same things I do out of life...I don't want the things you do..."   
"Just say it," I told him in a flat, rather raw voice. "You're breaking up with me. Fine. Then it's over." We were silent and still, staring at each other for the longest minute. Oh, Tim, I thought in agony, my heart splintering in cracking in pieces. I could also see pain in his face and knew this was tough for him also. It was true. Tim and I had been good while we were in the same school in our safe teenage world, but now that we were practically adults, both of us knew we'd never last together as adults. Our values and needs clashed too much to sustain a relationship. We got ready to leave in silence.   
"Soo, still up to a walk before we close this night?" Tim asked.   
"Not really," I told him. "I'm going home."   
"Want me to walk you home?" Tim asked.   
"No, it's all right," I stood up and left a tip on the table. "Goodnight, Tim...it was good while it lasted...good luck at Connecticut U." I felt tears welling up in my eyes. "Goodbye, Tim," I finished softly and left, heading home in a rapid walk, tears spilling down my face. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

It was almost ten when I told Sharon and Dad that I needed to get out of the house for a while. I'd told Dawn about the breakup and my heart was in pieces. I just needed to be away a few hours.   
"Are you going to be...?" Sharon peered at me.   
"Yes, just as soon as I...think things out," I told her. "I might be gone a few hours, so don't worry if I'm not back until really late."   
"Be careful," Dad gave me a little hug. Sharon kissed my cheek. I hugged them both.   
"I l-love you both so much," I whispered. Then I went out to the backyard, took my bike and rode on down the dark street. I don't know how long I rode, but there was a warm wind blowing, enough to blow my hair around. I cried on and off, feeling the pain in my heart, then bit by bit releasing it. There weren't many cars on the suburban roads, but once I hit the bigger part of town, there were lots more cars, being Friday night. I even saw two other bikers down the road. My tears still flowed like an automatic water faucet in the public bathrooms that they have nowadays. Oh, this hurt so much! The one other time I felt this awful squashing feeling in my heart was when Logan and I broke up in ninth grade. I rode until I came to the lighthouse, which is almost at the edge of Stoneybrook, where there's a small beach. I put my bike under a clump of bushes and headed toward the beach, enjoying the quiet, then listening to the waves crashing into the shore. I watched the ocean for a long time, remembering Dawn and my conversation earlier this week about the ocean changing, yet staying the same. Oh, Tim, why couldn't you understand that? I wondered. I still cried on and off, watching the ocean. Occasionally, my vision blurred. Still the water never changes, I thought. I even flung a few rocks into the ocean and felt an odd relief that the rocks just disappeared into the sea soundlessly. The things around the water change though, just like our lives. It was almost pitch-black, yet still I could see the waves. Watching the waves made me feel calmer, even though I knew I'd be sad for a long time after Tim. On the way back to get my bike, I tried to look at my watch, but it was too dark. I made a mental note to get a night-visible watch in the fall as I rode back home. Once I got home, I saw it was past two in the morning. Dad and Sharon were asleep. Thank the stars I'd told them I'd be out really late. As I flopped on my bed, I heard a soft knock on the door. It was Dawn.   
"Feeling all right?" Dawn whispered.   
"Some," I shrugged. "I rode all the way up to the lighthouse and watched the water a while. It made the think about what you said about the ocean. and waves and all." Dawn nodded. "I love you, Dawn." I gave her a big hug.   
"I love you too," Dawn hugged me back. "Oh, I'm going to miss you in the fall. Even your tears."   
"I'll miss you too," I managed a weak smile. "Even your tofu and bean sprouts." Dawn chuckled. Dawn's a vegetarian, while I'm a meatitarian and junk-food lover. Whatever had happened, I was grateful I had Dawn for a stepsister. I'm going to miss her in the fall. 


	14. Countdown To Graduation, Part 4

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**14: Countdown To Graduation, Part 4**

  


**Claudia**: 

It was a _huge_ relief to get my last final exam finished and turned in. We could leave as soon as we were done and I finished my Spanish final which was my last one, turned it in and left quietly. Once I was outside, I let out a big "WHOOOOOOOP!" I did a little hop-dance, then waited for Kristy and Mona to come out. They were also taking their Spanish exams. I couldn't believe we were _done_ with high school. No more homework, tests, or sitting in classes until the fall and by then, we'd all be in college. I really was looking forward to heading to Minnesota. I had only been by there once the summer after we graduated from eighth grade and the BSC took the cross-country trip in the RV. I'm sooo glad colleges are beginning to recognize artistic achievements, since I've always been a mediocre student and sitting still doing homework hour after hour is one of my least favorite things to do. When Kristy and Mona came out, we whooped some, then headed home.   
"Ready for the big night tomorrow?" Kristy asked.   
"Yep," I nodded. I was wearing a bright red sequined dress. I'd asked Jim Masley and he'd accepted. Kristy was going with David Amesworth. All of us BSC were riding down to the prom in two cars. Boy, I couldn't wait!   
"I'm going down to the Dress Barn to pick up my dress this afternoon," Mona told us as we headed home. "It's bright green."   
"Mine's red," I put in. "So what are you wearing, Kristy?"   
"Actually, a skirt," Kristy grinned.   
"You, Kristy Thomas, will actually be seen in a dress?" Mona feigned shock and we all laughed.   
"Yep, but it's not the standard fare dress," Kristy told us. "It's a sequined leather skirt and white loose top."   
"Alll right, Kristy!" I whooped. I knew from talking to Abby that she was also wearing red and that Stacey was wearing a cobalt blue dress while Mary Anne was wearing a marble-design blue and black dress. Anna was wearing a lavender dress and Dawn said she was wearing a lime-green dress. I was glad that Mary Anne was still coming with us to the prom despite the fact that she'd just broken up with Tim Hastings. I knew her heart was still healing over that. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

Dawn and I both slept in late on the morning of the prom. Kristy called us around ten with exciting news. She made sure Dawn and I were both on the phone. "SINGER HAD THE BABY!!!! IT'S HEALTHY; IT'S SIX POUNDS, FOUR OUNCES and IIIT'S A GIIIRL!!!" she screamed, practically breaking my eardrum. The three of us laughed. I'd been half-awake, but now I came completely awake.   
"How's Singer?"   
"She's doing great also!"   
"Tell her congratulations!" Dawn said. "So...Silma's going to adopt Singer's daughter?"   
"She is," Kristy babbled. "Oh, I'm so happy it's going to be an open adoption, especially since Silma is a good friend of my mom's and Singer can keep in touch and the baby's going to have a great home."   
"It's so great...it's like the kid's going to have two moms," I sighed. We made plans to visit Singer and her baby early in the afternoon, so Dawn and I booked to get ready, taking showers and all, then headed to the hospital at around eleven. The rest of the senior BSC met us there in the maternity ward.   
"Ohhhh..." all of us gasped when we saw that adorable baby! She was sooo cute and her sweet tiny face peered out from the blanket. She was sleeping and once in a while, her hands would reach out, feeling around, reminding me of tiny little starfish. My eyes welled with tears and Singer laughed a little and handed me tissues.   
"Silma's naming her Vera," Singer told us once she wheeled the baby into the nursery and led us back to her room. "Silma lives in Stamford and I'll be in Hartford for college, so we'll be close. It'll be so much better for her, since my job is not nearly enough to support a kid. She'll have a stable home with a loving mom...did I tell you Silma's a lawyer? I'm toying with the idea of being a lawyer myself...or maybe a psychologist."   
"What a wise decision," Stacey nodded. I myself admired Singer's courage. Even though I knew Singer would be seeing her kid sometimes, it must be so hard to give your kid to someone else to raise.   
"All of us will be better off," Singer continued, laying back on her bed. "Silma's been waiting three years for a baby...she didn't want to do it...you know, Murphy Brown-style with a one-night stand, but hadn't found anyone she wants to marry either." We all laughed softly.   
"What's it like to be in labor?" Anna asked.   
"The truth...it's like shitting a watermelon," Singer told us and laughed. "The early labor feels like menstrual cramps, then you feel the baby moving down your body toward your birth canal and _that's_ when it feels like a watermelon coming out of you. I don't know if this is true of all women, but afterward, after I'd heard her cry and all, I just wanted to sleep and was soaked with sweat. I think a lot of that nonsensical biz you see on TV and movies about the woman screaming and howling and thrashing in this huge agony is just that... nonsensical hyped-up biz."   
"Wow, that's a relief," Stacey let out her breath. I was relieved too, since I hope to have kids when I'm older once I get my career going and all. As we were getting ready to leave, Singer called, "Have fun at your prom, you all. Thanks for stopping by."   
"Hey, you remembered," Kristy grinned.   
"Yep. Have a good time." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mona**: 

"Are you going to be all right tonight?" I asked Mary Anne as she, Dawn and I got dressed for the prom. Mary Anne was in the bathroom.   
"I should be..." Mary Anne dabbed a last bit of purple lipstick on, then slowly walked out of the bathroom in her blue and black dress. It was long and the material was a very pretty silk. "Ohhh, your dress is sooo pretty." I had on my bright green dress. It was the first real dress-up occasion we'd been to in ages. I noticed we had on the same shoes and I laughed. Mary Anne managed a smile. We both had on flats, only hers were black and mine were green like my dress. Once Dawn came back, we were ready to roll.   
"Wow, don't you girls look gorgeous!" Sharon whooped.   
"Hey, let's get a picture," Mary Anne's dad grinned.   
"Ohhh..." Mary Anne blushed. Sure enough, Richard had his camera and snapped several pics of us.   
"This brings back memories of our high school prom," Sharon sighed. I knew that Mary Anne's dad and Dawn's mom had dated in high school.   
"It sure does," Richard smiled at Sharon and gave her a kiss.   
"Remember how we stood outside SHS and swore to meet again, no matter what our parents thought?"   
"Ohh, yes." Richard and Sharon's parents also hadn't liked each other back then and didn't approve of them dating each other.   
"We're going..." Dawn called.   
"Have a good time, girls," Sharon called. "And call us if you're going to spend the night away."   
"We will," Mary Anne told her. Sharon had loaned us her car, so we headed on over to Kristy's place where we would meet the others. When we got there, some of the 'rents were there. Ms. Stevenson and Kristy's mom and stepdad were   
there and they took even _more_ pictures of all of us. David was there too and he and Kristy hammed it up for the camera, making goofy faces.   
"Have fun, kids," Kristy's mom called as we headed out. It looked like it was going to be a beautiful evening. It hadn't gotten dark yet, but the sun was getting low and turning orange.   
"Abby and I have almost the same color!" Claudia quipped and she and Abby laughed on the way there. Sure enough, they were both wearing bright red dresses, only Claudia's was sequined. Stacey had on an incredibly cobalt-blue dress and to top it off, she had on the same color earrings and a hairpiece the same color. Kristy really did pull it off with the leather skirt and white top. I was glad we'd picked Fairview Gardens. The flowers were in full bloom and the whole place smelled sweet. On top of that, there was a ton of food to add to the fragrance. A lot of kids were already there by the time we arrived. We grabbed plates of food, then sat.   
"Hiiii!" Caitlin Giotti called.   
"Hey..." we waved back. Caitlin had a guy with dark wavy hair with her, whom she introduced as Russell Innes.   
"He goes to Stamford High," Caitlin told us. They sat with us a few minutes, then once the music really started getting rolling, they got up and danced. So did most of the other kids, including Kristy, David, Claudia, and Jim. Bit by bit, almost all the other BSC members were off dancing by the time the sun set in a gorgeous haze and it started to get dark. The lamps, which were Caribbean lanterns, went on. Then it was just Mary Anne and me at the table. We didn't mind, since neither one of us likes dancing in front of others.   
"I hope it's this nice on graduation night," Mary Anne sighed.   
"Me too." I knew that SHS was having its graduation ceremony around sunset.   
"I hope Singer's going to be all right," Mary Anne said softly. "Did you ever think about that...I mean, what it's like to have a kid of your own? We baby-sit for a few hours a week, but we know once our job is done, our clients take over the responsibility again."   
"Sometimes," I nodded. "I'm not sure if I'll do mine biologically or like Silma by adopting." It was last year that I'd come out of the closet, sort of. At least to my friends in the BSC and my mom and sister. Mary Anne was the first person I'd told that I was gay. That had been around March of our junior year. Thank the stars they accepted me the way I was. It was odd, because I didn't really start feeling different until I was a teenager, maybe around eighth or ninth grade. I'd even dated a Matt Zeboski back in seventh grade when I used to live and Bridgeport. But in eighth grade, we'd drifted apart and broken up. It wasn't anything major, just feelings gone flat. I really think I had been attracted to Matt. Then in high school and especially once we were juniors, I was realizing that I wasn't attracted to guys, at least not the way most other girls were. By then I was at SHS and had joined the BSC. Even now, in non-dating situations, I don't feel that different.   
"I've kind of thought about it briefly, but also think about how _expensive_ kids are."   
Mary Anne sipped her soda. "I know I'm not having kids until I have my career really going. I haven't even considered how, physically I'd do it...by birth or adoption. I guess it would depend on my circumstances when I'm around thirty."   
"Me too." I nodded. "I really do hope Singer can really have kids of her own once she gets her career going." As we watched others dance to a slow beat, my mind wandered to the days when I used to go to Burkeview High. I wondered how the Five R Us were doing and how they were getting ready for their graduation. I wondered if they'd had their prom yet. The Five R Us are a group of friends, five girls that I knew, Christie Winchell, Liza Barry, Dekeisha Adams, Katie Shannon and Whitney Larkin. It was funny, because Katie, Liza, and Christie used to hang out with two other girls Jana Morgan and Melanie Edwards and _they_ used to call themselves the Fabulous Five. But in tenth grade they started drifting apart. Jana started spending more and more time with her boyfriend, Randy Kirwan and she and Melanie started drifting toward the BIG clique that had ruled Burkeview at the time. Liza almost was pulled into that group also. She and Jana used to be best friends, but then that spring of tenth grade, Liza and Jana had a huge falling out and that was it for their friendship. Poor Liza had been so devastated! Then Katie and Christie, who'd grown apart from Jana and Melanie and were befriending Whitney and Dekeisha, came to Liza's support and that's basically how the Five R Us came about in the fall of eleventh grade. I'd seen Katie briefly when the two schools took a trip to Washington, DC over spring break. I also wondered how some of the other kids were doing also and if I'd see any of them in college. Wouldn't it be something if one of them wound up at Staten U! During another slow song, I saw Abby and Tom Ribinski leaning close and stifled a giggle. They insist they're not in love or anything, but I've seen them lean close and once I saw them French- kissing. The song was really beautiful. At first, neither Mary Anne or I planned on dancing, but we were both moved by the sweetness of the song and the wonderful spring dusk that Mary Anne asked me softly,   
"Want to dance...you and me?" Her deep soft voice sounded a bit husky. I looked around and did see one other dancing pair with two girls, so I nodded and we stood up and started to dance.   
"Awright, Mary Anne and Mona..." I heard Kristy call. We grinned and got into the song. We even did the next one, which was a faster beat. We laughed when Kristy and David bounced past, gyrating wildly. All in all, it was a neat prom. It didn't end until a little after midnight. As it wound down, the rest of the BSC sat back down and we scrounged around for the few leftover desserts that were left. Caitlin came over and took pictures of us.   
"Prom niiiiight!" We all said as the camera snapped. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Stacey**: 

I was still sleepy the early afternoon after the prom. I'd slept late, then slowly gotten up and had a peanut butter toast and orange juice. It was another hot day outside and I stood by the kitchen door a while and looked at the purple tulips Mom had planted bordering the porch. I sure was going to miss them in the fall...thinking about leaving Stoneybrook made the juice slosh around in my stomach.   
"Hiii, sleepyhead!" Mom came in and ruffled my honey-colored hair.   
"Hii..." I managed a tired wave.   
"Have a good time last night?"   
"Yeah..." I came back into the kitchen and put my dishes in the dishwasher. If only I could just find away to go away to college, yet be close by here. I was wavering between Aberdine and Hartford U.   
"What's wrong, honey?" Mom asked. She's very good at reading my face, just another thing to miss about next year.   
"I just...I'm still not sure I want to go so far from here. I'm not sure about Aberdine, being way in Vermont."   
"I'd take a chance if I were you," Mom told me. "You need to be out on your own...away from Stoneybrook."   
"Oh..." I caught my breath in disappointment. "So you want me to go?" I asked in a small voice.   
"Yes." She patted my hand. "I'd like to see you more independent."   
"Mom...I worry about you," I told her. "You'll be on your own here...alone. I thought of living in Stamford so I could see you every week."   
"What..." Mom gasped. "Stacey...that's ridiculous! You can't re-arrange your life on account of me."   
"I haven't." I was near tears. "I just...am scared at the thought of you being alone..."   
"If you're worried about me being alone, yes, I'll miss you often, but you need this...you've got a brilliant mind and I know you haven't worked yourself on getting a scholarship to the northeastern college of your choice, not to mention being up for valedictorian just to shelve it and let it go to waste. I love you and want you to live life to the fullest...even if it means going far away for a while."   
"Oh, Mom..." Tears streamed down my face. "You...don't understand," I finished weakly. I ran upstairs. Mom and I are so close...what if something happens...I cried into my pillow for a long time.   
"Stacey...it's the phone," Mom called softly a while later.. I nodded, then went out into the hall and picked up the cordless phone and headed downstairs. It was Mary Anne. I told her about the argument with Mom. "Oh, Stace..." Mary Anne said softly, then was quiet a minute, then muttered something about Tim. I hoped my mentioning this hadn't reminded her of her painful breakup with Tim. "Maybe...she has a point," she continued. "Did you ever hear the quote to love something enough to let it go?"   
"Yeah, I think so..." I started to cry again.   
"It's not that she wants to distance from you," Mary Anne told me. "Don't you remember when Dawn moved out to California for three years?"   
"Yeah." I remembered. "You were really crushed."   
"I was afraid we'd grow apart. That Dawn didn't really want to stay close, but had to do what was right for her...even if it meant being away for a while. And we managed to stay close even though we didn't see each other often."   
"I remember." I sat back against the wall, beginning to understand what she was saying. "I guess...I just worry about Mom alone here."   
"I worry about Dad and Sharon too once Dawn and me are gone," Mary Anne told me. "But I've learned that if you give up your own dream to keep someone else from being lonely, both you and that person could end up resentful and regretful. I think your Mom wants to stay close, but doesn't want a dependent relationship."   
"It's making sense." I nodded, feeling calmer. And it really was. If two people end up dependent on each other and resentment grows out of that, they could end up growing apart anyway! I certainly didn't want that to happen with Mom and me.   
"Don't forget about e-mail," Mary Anne added. "Thank the stars it's so much easier to keep in touch."   
"True." I think back a hundred years ago, when there was only snail mail for contact and not always reliable mail at that, people who moved away often lost touch. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

I joined Mom for breakfast the next morning and we decided to eat at IHOP. It's right down the street from the Rosebud Cafe, which I hear is going out of business in late June. The BSC used to go there sometimes. Maybe I can suggest to my friends that we go there one last time for old times' sake.   
"I talked to Mary Anne..." I told Mom. "...about my future."   
"Oh?" Mom took a sip of coffee.   
"I thought about Aberdine again. Even though it'll be hard, I think it is better if I'm...really on my own. So I'm going to Aberdine after all. I think ever since the divorce, we've become so close and I was afraid we'd grow apart once I was away."   
"Mary Anne makes a lot of sense," Mom told me. We held hands. "I really am going to miss you in the fall when you go, but there's always e-mail, which you taught me to use."   
"That's what Mary Anne said," I said and we both laughed softly.   
"And of course one thing is constant...the holidays...sure as death and taxes."   
"That too." I felt much more secure now. I was still kind of scared about leaving Stoneybrook and everything I know behind, but I began to look forward to starting a new life, and new era in my life as an adult in Vermont. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Kristy**: 

I just knew Stacey hadn't worked her butt off for four years, not to mention getting the valedictorian for nothing. We all whooped at this Friday's BSC meeting when Stacey told us that she was going to Aberdine after all. And on a full scholarship, room and board totally paid! You can't beat that. All us passed around the BSC notebook congratulating Stacey on being valedictorian. She got the notice just this morning and it would be officially announced at the awards ceremony next week.   
"Just one more week before the BIG night," Mona added.   
"I know, I can't believe it," Mary Anne's eyes welled with tears.   
"And the Krushers are having the last softball game of the year on Sunday night," I put in. Even I, who couldn't wait to get out of Stoneybrook, felt a pang of sadness. There are some things I will miss about Stoneybrook once I head to Fellowdean. I was glad though that Mona and Mary Anne would be in the Big Apple with me. We'd sure do a lot of great stuff together, the three of us. And of course we'd be back here for holidays and some vacations.   
"We're going to miss you guys when you leave," Vanessa told us.   
"It's hard to believe we're in middle school," Karen added. We were quiet a long minute, thinking about all these changes in our lives. Just then the phone rang and it was a client. Once the meeting ended, I suggested we go to the Macarena Cellar tonight.   
"What's that?" Claudia asked.   
"A kind of restaurant, bar type of thing near the lighthouse," I told them.   
"I've heard of that place," Mary Anne put in. "Dad and Sharon used to go there a lot when they were our age."   
"I remember they told us some funny incidents about that place," Dawn put in. "Actually, I work tonight, so I'm out."   
"I'm free," Claudia and Mary Anne chimed in.   
"Me too," Stacey added. "I've heard of it and was always curious about what they have there." 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

I picked up David, Kristy, Stacey, and Claudia, then we headed to the Macarena Cellar. Kristy and David kissed in a loud smooch as I parked. The sun was setting in a fiery orange haze and I felt a weird mixture of pleasure and sadness thinking about how our time in Stoneybrook was almost over. The sunset of our being kids, I thought. By the time we got to the bar, I had tears in my eyes.   
"Aaaaaoooaaawww, don't cry, Mary Anne," David crooned.   
"High school memories," Kristy crowed. "I have a solution to that..." she pulled out her driver's license. "How 'bout a little scotch?"   
"Yeah..." we all laughed, pulled out our licenses, and ordered chips along with scotch. I made a mental not to only have a half of a small glass since I was driving. Thinking of that reminded me of Amelia Freeman, a girl in our eighth-grade class who'd died in a drunk driving accident and I almost cried again.   
"You all..." I held up my hand. "I'm driving...so I have to be careful." I sniffled and wiped my eyes again. We took sips, me only a few sips. Beer tastes and smells awful, but scotch isn't that bad. It's more watery than anything else. I guess Kristy, David, and Claudia thought scotch was great, because they drank it in a few gulps, then ordered more while I ordered a Sprite. We talked over high school memories and chanted SHS mantras and songs. I cried on and off.   
"Remember the trip to the Planetarium?" Stacey asked. "Freshman year?"   
"Ohhh, how could I FORGET!" Claudia laughed. "Cokie Mason and Alan Gray got in neck-deep TROUBLE!"   
"Hey, didn't Cokie drop out after last year?"   
"Yeah I think she did," Claudia told her, giggling.   
"I wonder what she's doing now?" I pondered.   
"That was after the Operation Today's Good Youth," Kristy added. "We really kicked ass with that snobby IN clique."   
"They were _history_," David chimed in. By this time, Kristy, David, and Claudia were getting tipsy and giggly. I just hoped Stacey and I would be able to get them into the car. We talked for a long time until Claudia, Kristy, and David were too incoherent to talk and ended up pouring scotch all over each other.   
"C'mon, let's get out of here," I muttered nervously. Stacey and I had stayed sober, so we helped the other three get into the car. Once we got in, David passed out with an _oooonck_ and fell into Kristy's lap. Stacey sat in the back with them while Claudia sat in front with me.   
"Why don't we go back to my place," Stacey suggested. "They are going to have hangovers tomorrow." I nodded and drove over to Stacey's. On the way, Claudia passed out and fell in my lap. 

**Stacey**: 

Did I tell you that I have one of the greatest moms around? Well...I do. Many parents would have thrown a fit if their kid brought home their friends drunk, but not my mom. Mom offered to let us all sleep over at my house and call everyone's parents to let them know where they were. By that time, all three of them had passed out. Mom, Mary Anne, and I got them into cots and David on the basement couch.   
"Are you two feeling all right?" Mom asked us softly. We nodded. "Want some fruit punch?" We sat in the kitchen and had punch. Mom asked us a few questions, but she understood what we were going through with high school ending and us worrying about our futures. Later when we went up to bed, Mary Anne closed the door, covered her eyes and let out a whimper.   
"Are you...?" I looked over at her anxiously from the bed. Mary Anne came over to the bed, her brows slanted and she started to cry. I hugged her, then started crying too. We flopped on the bed and bawled and bawled until we were exhausted and fell asleep. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mary Anne**: 

I woke up around two-thirty and heard a pattering of feet in the hall, then the bathroom door closing. Then I heard heaving and gasping. I quietly got up and headed to the bathroom and sure enough, Kristy was over the toilet, throwing up. "I am NEVER..." she gasped, coughed, then heaved another mouthful into the toilet. "...drinking scotch again..." she struggled to stand and I saw that her eyes were bloodshot. I ran into the kitchen and filled an icepack, then brought it to Kristy, then led her back to bed. "Were you drunk too?" she asked. "Your eyes are all red."   
"Oh..." I smiled sheepishly. "No...I had some tears...you know me...feeling sentimental."   
"Oh, yes," Kristy nodded. "Mary Anne the sentimental and sensitive. Thanks." She closed her eyes.   
"If you'll excuse the old cliche...that's what friends are for," I said softly. We smiled weakly, then I held her hand until she fell back asleep. The I dug around the storage closet until I found buckets and put one each beside Claudia, Kristy, and David before going back to sleep. 


	15. Countdown To Graduation, Part 5

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**15: Countdown To Graduation, Part 5**

  


**Kristy**: 

Thank the stars Stacey let us all stay at her place. I woke up with a killer hangover in the morning, but by the afternoon, it was better. Stacey's mom let us sleep it off for most of the morning. Vaguely, I remembered throwing up last night and Mary Anne holding my hand.   
"How're you feeling?" Mary Anne asked when I came into the kitchen.   
"Better," I told her, sitting down. My stomach still felt a little gritty and oily, but it had mostly settled. Slowly, David, Claudia and Stacey came in. We ate what we could. Actually, Claudia's appetite was good for someone with a hangover, she wore huge sunglasses and said she had a headache, but apparently her stomach was fine, because she wolfed down a frozen pizza bagel and chips.   
"Ohhh..." I had to groan. All's I could manage was a ginger ale and crackers. Normally, I love pizza, but the sight of that greasy sauce reminded me of my stomach. I guess David's stomach still felt the same way because he avoided looking at the pizza.   
"So, Kris, ready for the last baseball game of the season tomorrow night against Burkeview?" Claud asked, finishing off her pizza. The game! That's right.   
"I should be," I nodded. Thanks the stars my headache was mostly a dull ache now. "We'll all be there," Stacey put in.   
"Thanks. Abby and I are going to miss playing for SHS."   
"And don't forget, the awards ceremony is on Wednesday night," Claudia put in.   
"And I've been working on my speech," Stacey put in. We talked a while more, then when I started home, the sunlight seemed so bright that and I had to hunt around for sunglasses and put them on.   
"God, everything turns FLORESCENT when you've been drunk," I moaned. I hoped my sight would be back to normal by tomorrow night's game. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Abby**: 

It was hard to believe that Kristy and I were about to play our last baseball game of the season. And it was against our biggest rival, Burkeview. I fished my glove out from under the bed, then changed into my uniform and bunched my thick dark curls back into a ponytail. I was psyched about heading to New Jersey with my twin sister Anna for college in the fall, but deep down knew that I'd miss Stoneybrook. Oh, well, I knew Anna and I would be back to visit Mom as well as our other BSC friends. Less than a week away is the big night for us. The whole BSC was planning to try to sit together at the awards ceremony.   
"Ready, girls?" Mom called from downstairs.   
"Yup," I called and booked downstairs. Anne walked behind me more slowly. Funny how we look alike, yet Anna is much quieter than me. She's more like Mary Anne and Mona. The three of them formed a music band, Unconventional Sounds in the fall of eleventh grade and played in several school productions.   
"I'm really going to miss our Unconventional Sounds," Anna sighed on the way there.   
"I'm sure going to miss the soccer team," I added. "I just hope they have women's teams at Dexter U."   
"Maybe I can join or form another band at Trenton Music Academy. I hope Mary Anne and Mona are able to keep up their music at Staten next year. They're great. Hey, we got started in a way because of you."   
"Me?" I laughed a little. I'm no way into music, but my sister really is and it was her idea for the band, even the name. "How did I help get you all started?"   
"Operation Today's Good Youth," Anna said simply. "You got the ball rolling and that gave a lot of kids more courage to win SHS back from the IN clique so they couldn't dominate the school anymore and it gave us three the courage to start the band."   
"Wow, thanks," I reached over and squeezed her hand. I remember vividly that September day back when we were juniors. It was the annual career day and a local news reporter, Renee Vassar was one of the sponsors and several of us BSC gotten a section with her in News Media. We'd brainstormed for suggestions on how to improve the media and make it more accurate and I'd suggested that the media needed to improve the way today's teenagers were portrayed. It seemed like I'd seen too many negative reports on how supposedly awful "today's" kids were and a lot of the blame was being put on working and single moms. My mom, who's widowed and works hard had been especially on my mind that morning. That sparked a classwide discussion and I was relieved to see that other kids felt the same way. Never did I suspect it would turn into a schoolwide movement, but it did! All us (kids not in the IN clique) had written to editors all over the northeast about how the media could improve its image of our generation and offered plenty of proof, which I see all the time about how today's kids are just as responsible, moral, and caring as kids before us. That weakened the IN clique as more kids felt empowered to stand up to them and practically revolutionized SHS. Several high schools had gotten involved and early in December, reporters came and took our picture. I'll never forget that day when it was snowing and most of the school was standing outside all excited. By then, Unconventional Sounds had formed and had been practicing for its part in that year's holiday production, which Claudia and I also had a part. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Kristy**: 

I was happy my stepsibs and parents came to the game. So had my other BSC friends. I was also feeling a lot better; my stomach had cooled down and was almost normal. We got a fast start and as I ran around the bases with two other teammates to hit a homerun, I glanced up at the bleachers and noticed that my friends were sitting in the same spot in the bleachers where last year's shoving incident happened. I scored the homerun, then as the game took a break for halftime, I noticed Abby looking up at the bleachers in that area too. We waved to our friends and they waved back. By then, it was starting to get dark.   
"Kristy..." Abby sat next to me. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"   
"About last year's incident in that last game of last season?" I nodded. "Yeah."   
"That was scary," Abby remembered.   
"Thanks the stars Ms. Silverbein had the courage to keep anyone from getting seriously hurt," I put in.   
"I think that was how the IN clique finally did themselves in," Abby sipped her Gatorade. "And the BIG clique that used to rule Burkeview."   
"Yeah." I remembered how when that game had been over, none of us really knows who started shoving first from those two cliques, but I think they started with each other, then other kids got pushed and it spread all over that section of the bleachers until it was dangerously close to an actual brawl breaking out. Abby and I had been heading into the locker room to change when we saw some of our friends being pushed and rushed up to their aid. Ms. Silverbein, several teachers and the principal of Burkeview had rounded up the troublemakers, thank the stars and Ms. Silverbein suspended the IN-cliquers who had caused the trouble for two weeks, then banned them from all sports this year. They all ended up blaming each other and broke up for good. I'd heard that the BIG crowd at Burkeview got yelled at by their principal and also kicked off the teams and broke up. Those now-rebuilt bleachers that my friends were now standing on had been damaged and a lot of kids in both SHS and Burkeview had been shaken up.   
"I wonder how the Five R Us is doing," Abby said, referring to a group of girls from Burkeview who were a group of friends like us. "And if any of them are here tonight." We'd been next to each other in the shoving incident and they too had been upset like us. One of the Five R Us girls, Liza, had been punched and laughed at by a couple from the BIG clique and was really upset and crying hard. Mary Anne, who'd also been shoved by that same couple, had hugged her and started crying too. I'd also been shoved by them. Liza had told us that she used to be friends with the girl, but in tenth grade, they had drifted apart. Wow, I'd thought at the time.   
"Me too," I added. "They seemed to getting on with college plans like us. Remember when we met Katie in our Washington DC trip that she told us she was heading to Georgetown next year?"   
"Hope we see them again," I said. "Around the galaxy." We both laughed then and the umpire called the halftime over and we got back into the game. Close to the end, we were neck-in-neck and I saw one girl from Burkeview standing at bat. I noticed at she had a slight jerkiness to her movements and I wondered if the had juvenile rheumatoid arthritis or epilepsy. I hoped she wouldn't have a seizure mid-run and get hurt or something. She hit the ball well, but her running was slow and awkward. She was tagged very close to the second base and some kids were calling for an out, but something inside me wanted to see her hit a homer, so I bellowed, "Run...go...go! Keep going, you're not out!" She seemed bewildered a minute, then Abby joined in, then other team members both from Burkeview _and_ Stoneybrook Highs cheered her on. I guess she got it because she slowly ran on to third base and as she hesitantly headed for home, the crowd in the bleachers joined in the cheering, "Go...GO...RUN...GO...GO!" The sound grew deafening. She made it just as the game ended! She'd hit a home run! All us from both teams whooped and hugged. Abby burst into tears and hugged me. That got me started and we clung to each other and alternated between laughing and crying. "That was phenomenal!" Caitlin Giotti came up and hugged us both, HER face streaked with tears. A lot of members of both teams were crying and I saw several Burkeview students lift the girl up and carry her around.   
"Yeee-HAAAH!" Abby yipped and we crowded into the circle.   
"Girl power!" someone else crowed. It's hard to describe the feeling here, but it made the hall of fame for sportspersonship as well as girlpower. Technically, pointwise, Burkeview beat us, but thanks to all us supporting one disabled fellow player, everyone won tonight! Looking up into the bleachers, I could see that my BSC friends were in tears too. I looked over toward my parents and saw that tears were streaking down my mom's face as well and she blew me a kiss. _Way to go_, _Kris!_ I could see her mouth. I blew a kiss back at her. Looking around more, I did see the Five R Us near the top of the bleachers on the other side and saw _them_ wiping their eyes. I waved at them, wondering if they remembered me. I guess they did because they waved back. Katie put two fingers in a circle and whistled. Abby did her two-finger whistle back and waved. What a game! This was better than all our wins put together. We all stood close for a while after the game, some kids still crying. Abby said softly, "I think this healed what happened last year."   
"Yeah," I realized that she was right. Despite the fact that our two teams were from rival schools, everyone tonight seemed to bond into one team, which helped heal the fear and emotional scars from last year's incident for both Stoneybrook and Burkeview Highs. 


	16. Countdown To Graduation, Part 6

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**16: Countdown To Graduation, Part 6**

  


**Mona**: 

It felt odd, yet elating to be in school, yet have no more classes for the year. We didn't have to be there until ten and we'd leave by one. The lower grades were giving us a farewell assembly, then tonight we'd have our commencement rehearsal. "Tomorrow night, can you believe it?" Kristy asked.   
"No." I shook my head.   
"Me either," Mary Anne added. We were in our homerooms and all around kids were talking excitedly, hugging and exchanging addresses, phone numbers and e-mails. Some had their yearbooks and were passing them around for signatures.   
"Sign mine?" Susan Perry stopped in front of us. "Yeah..." All three of us signed, then we pulled out each of ours and had her sign.   
"You're going to Berher U. in Maine, right?" I asked.   
"Yeah." Susan nodded.   
"Good luck there," we told her.   
"Good luck in the Big Apple!" she told us and we all laughed, then hugged before she went on to the next person. The class got a little quieter as Ms. Fedders came in with a small note.   
"Oh, class..." she said softly. All us then sat and quieted down, sensing that she had something to tell us in the note, which was actually a card.   
"Isn't this sweet?" she asked. "It's from Ms. Silverbein wishing me a prosperous new career. She adds that even though we'll be physically far away, our hearts will stay close." That was sweet of her. "I think Ms. Silverbein's feeling better over this. Thank you all of you for being easy on her these past couple of weeks. They were hard on her." By then, it was time for us to head to the auditorium for our _Farewell, Seniors_ assembly. The seniors always sit in the front, but this felt different. Some of the freshman put on a skit; some of the sophomores put together a music "video" of us that made us all laugh; and the juniors put on slides and a lot of the slides had posters and paraphernalia of all that we'd done these past four years. I remembered us doing that for last year's seniors; now it was our turn. Then it was Ms. Silverbein's turn to wish us good luck. She did seem to be in better spirits than she had in weeks. I suspect she'd come to an acceptance of Ms. Fedders' decision. It was a little later when things mushed up quite a bit. Some other teachers gave speeches that moved a lot of us to tears, including Mary Anne.   
"Made it to mid-morning," Mary Anne quipped shakily, wiping her eyes as we got ready to head into the anteroom to say our final goodbyes and do one last yearbook exchange and to get instructions for our commencement ceremony, which would be on the front lawn of SHS. Once we got into the anteroom, a lot of kids, I think most of them started crying and hugging. One by one, all of us in the BSC started crying as we hugged other kids and wished them good luck. There was a lot of trying to talk and sign between sobs and most of us struggled not to drip tears and snot over our yearbooks. Caitlin exchanged hers with ours and she held a tissue over her face as she signed ours. Mary Anne gave her nose a good blow before she started each of her signatures, but had to keep wiping her eyes. I had to sign quickly before a fresh gush of tears started flowing from me each time.   
"G-go, get...em, Cait..." Kristy managed to get out before fresh sobs overcame her and she hugged Caitlin.   
"Bye..." Caitlin sobbed, hugging each of us, then heading toward the next person.   
"I...can't see too w-well, c-can you tell me wh-when some...one comes?" Mary Anne struggled to catch her breath. She wiped at her eyes with a mound of tissue, but I could see that her tears were blocking her vision almost completely.   
"S-sure..." I still could see, though it was blurry. We found seats and the sobbing slowed.   
"Oh, God..." Ms. Silverbein smiled shakily at us as she stood by the podium. "I'm on the verge of tears myself here, so excuse me if I sound a bit shaky." We managed weak chuckles ourselves. She then proceeded with the ceremony and where we'd line up and all. Each of our homeroom teachers wished us a special farewell and good luck and that got several kids started again, including Stacey, Kristy, Mary Anne and me. God, we'd been through so much in four years! Mary Anne and Stacey sat behind me and clutched hands.   
"Ohhh, God..." Abby whimpered and starting crying again. Dawn held her hand. Anna reached over and held onto both of their hands. All around, I could see several groups of friends clasping hands, crying.   
"We've been through so m-much together," Kristy whispered.   
"S-so much and so many ch-changes," Mary Anne whimpered. "But it's g-g-good that our friendship...s-s-s-te..."   
"Stayed constant..." Dawn finished, her own eyes damp with fresh tears as she held Mary Anne's other hand. By the time the teachers were done, we the BSC looked almost like a Twister game in our seats with arms intermingled, clasping hands. As kids began to leave, I managed a shaky laugh.   
"We look like a Twister game," I said, remembering our monthly sleepovers when sometimes we'd played Twister and wind up in a knotted heap on the floor. That got a shaky laugh out of my friends.   
"Come on, let's get out of here and get ready for the big night," Kristy told us and we headed out. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Jessi**: 

It was soo great that Mallory and I got a chance to come to Stoneybrook that Friday to wish the senior BSC good luck. It was soo hard to believe they'd be leaving Stoneybrook in the fall. Mallory and I have two more years of high school to go. We're junior BSC members along with Basila Caprio and we're also seasonal members, which means that we're only able to baby-sit and join meetings in the vacations. I'm also glad that we've created the next generation of the BSC, so parents can continue to have a number to call. My sister, Becca, who's now twelve and will be in eighth grade at Stoneybrook Middle School next year, will be the club's next treasurer while one of Mallory's younger sisters, Vanessa Pike will take Kristy's place as the club president after Kristy heads for Fellowdean. Charlotte Johanssen will succeed Mary Anne as the secretary while Karen will be the next club vice president and starting over the summer, will start having the BSC meeting in her room since now she has her own phone line like Claudia. That Friday morning, we had a special meeting and sent flyers to our client letting them know what the new number would be and when it would change.   
"That's the way to keep them up front about this transition," Kristy told us once we got the last flyer sent out or posted up. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 

**Mallory**: 

It was all of our parents' idea, but Jessi, Basila, and I had the idea to take a vote on what the favorite BSC restaurant was, since we were treating them to a graduation lunch. Several places bid close place, but Timpano's won out.   
"Wow..." Claudia and Abby gasped at the same time, once they got there and saw all of our parents there.   
"CONGRATULATIONS!" boomed from all the parental units.   
"We wanted to give you girls a treat," Ms. Kishi smiled.   
"We're all so very proud of our graduates," Ms. Brewer put in, her eyes damp.   
"Thanks..." "Ohhh..." "This is great..." The senior BSC murmured, giving various parents hugs. Mary Anne's eyes filled with tears as she gave her dad, stepmom, and grandmother a hug.   
"Heeey, Lynn..." Claudia greeted her little cousin and gave her aunt and uncle a hug. Not only were all the parents there, but several extended family members were there, which meant we'd had to reserve several tables. Fortunately, it was a buffet- style meal, so each of us got up to get whatever we wanted.   
"It worked," Jessi grinned at me as we ate.   
"Yeah..." I nodded. "Ready for the big night?"   
"Sure," Jessi told me. "Are they?" We laughed a little. We ate a talked, going over various memories.   
"...will never forget when Stacey and Mary Anne stood up to those guys the first day of freshman year," Maureen McGill was saying. "You both made me so proud."   
"Hear, hear..." several others added...   
"Here's to girl power!" Sharon put in and all of us clinked glasses. "I'd like to propose a toast not only to my own daughters who I'll miss so much in the fall, but to all the Baby-Sitters' Club for turning Stoneybrook High around. And not only did they turn the school around, but they've made this large Connecticut town better for all of us due to their hard work and all the hours baby-sitting."   
"Yeah...hear..."   
"We'd like to add our toast..." Richard and Sharon stood.   
"To our two wonderful daughters," Sharon announced. "For braving our brave new stepfamily"   
"And for their courage in handling the terrible fire two years ago that burned down our house," Richard added. "Their strength helped Sharon and me survive and gave us the courage to rebuild our house and have a fresh start."   
"And to their friends who supported our daughters through that terrible time," Sharon finished. Mary Anne's eyes welled with tears as we toasted. _I love you so much_ she mouthed, looking first at her parents, then her grandmother and stepsister. There were a lot more toasts to various happening over the past four years. Jessi, Basila, and I added our thanks to the BSC for their friendship and for making parents' and kids lives easier through their club and for their tireless spirit even through rocky times. We slowly finished our food, then it was mid-afternoon, so all of us hustled off in different directions to get ready for tonight. The big night. Wow. I was so excited I knocked my chair over backwards as I booked out. I hastily righted the chair, then continued. Kristy dropped her silverware with a clatter as she got up. Anna accidentally spilled the remains of her juice on her blouse and mumbled, "Oh, shit..." She started to wipe it up, but her mom said, "It's all right, it's all right. They'll get it." Anna looked one last time at the puddle, then she joined her mom and sister in leaving. It was like a videotape on fast-forward, I thought in amusement. 


	17. Graduation!

Here it is! The FINAL night of the BSC's high school years and the closing chapter of the last book of the _BSC Legacy_. Just a quick note that the part on Gates McFadden is completely fictional; the current author has no connection with Gates and that Beverly Crusher belongs to Paramount Pictures, not the current author. And the usual disclaimers on the BSC characters. Enjoy this sunset of the BSC's childhood and adolescence! 

**The BSC Legacy – Book 4: Adolescence Passing**

_By_: CNJ 

_PG-13_

**17: Graduation!**

**Kristy**: 

_One, two, three_, I mentally counted. Yep, there went the graduation theme. Slowly, dignified in our blue and white caps and gowns, the SHS graduating class of 2001 walked in two at a time, taking slow steps. Mary Anne, Anna, and Abby were right next to each other since we were lined up alphabetically. Mona was near the end of the line. Once we got to our seats on the lawn of Stoneybrook High, Ms. Silverbein announced, "Ladies and Gentlemen...the graduating class of Stoneybrook High School." All the parents, aunts, uncles, and relatives clapped vigorously. I looked down the aisle and noticed that Mary Anne's eyes were filling up. Of course. I hoped she had a _lot_ of tissues with her because I had the feeling that tonight, she'd go through several boxes. We sat. The ceremony itself was a little dull, then perked up when the speaker came up to give her commencement speech. Gates McFadden, the actress who played Dr. Crusher on the old series _Star Trek The Next Generation_, was the speaker. Wow...she turned out to be interesting! In some ways, she reminded me of Abby, making several jokes that made the crowd laugh. "...so if you'll excuse the old cliche borrowed from the old series...let your dreams take you where no one has gone before," she finished. Several of us were laughing as we clapped again. When it came time to get our diplomas, Ms. Silverbein instructed us graduates to line up by the stage row by row. I thought over the last four years as I waited for my row's turn. I was really going to miss Stoneybrook, even though I couldn't wait to be on my own in New York City. I knew Mary Anne felt the same way. I was glad the BSC was going to be in good hands. I hoped Vanessa loved running the BSC as much as I did. I wondered if she'd be a stickler for punctuality the way I was. I wondered if Karen would stock up on plenty of junk food like Claudia. I looked over to the west as my row stood and got in line. The sight just took my breath away! The sun was bright orange and tinged the sky a beautiful red with gorgeous pink streaks. I heard a gasp and saw that Mary Anne had started to cry again as our row got close to being called. Abby stroked her.   
"Is she all right?" Eva Torada asked me.   
"Yes, I whispered. Mary Anne groped around and managed to pull out more tissues as she blubbered louder. Stacey, being the valedictorian, had her name called with "Anastasia McGill with highest honors!" Mary Anne buried her face into a mound of tissues and cried even _harder_. Along the line, the BSC clapped softly. Stacey looked a little teary-eyed as she took her place next to the class salutatorian, Adriane Gatesly. As Mary Anne's name got close, she struggled to compose herself the best that she could. Mary Anne was an honor student, so her name was called "with honors" along with all the other honor students. As Mary Anne walked up to get her diploma, her tears started again, this time more quietly. "Awwww..." the audience sighed. Mary Anne reached out and hugged Ms. Silverbein, then wiped her face and almost tripped coming off the stage. She sat and cried some more. Finally my name was called and Charlie clapped once. I got my diploma, waved, and sat and waited until the last graduate was called. FINALLY!!!! We'd GRADUATED!!!! We're not kids anymore!!! Mary Anne cried on and off through Adrianne and Stacey's speeches. As Stacey finished her speech, she got tearful and needed to grab some tissues. Ms. Silverbein gave one last short speech. "...to all our graduates...goodbye...we'll miss you...and good luck!" The applause was nearly deafening and us graduates added our own whoops and howls. 

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**Mary Anne**: 

I can't believe it's really over! Naturally, I blubbered my way through the ceremony, but it was just so beautiful, including that sunset! I know Stacey's mom is SO proud of her! Dawn and I met with our family. Of course Grandma was crying just like me and we hugged and just sobbed a minute. When I hugged Sharon, she cried also!   
"Th-thank you...for being there when I needed..." I had to catch my breath. "a...m-mother..." my voice ended in a high squeak.   
"It's so wonderful having you as my daughter," Sharon told me. Then Dawn and I hugged, congratulating each other. Even though I'd gotten sick of living in Stoneybrook, part of me would really miss this place. 

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**Stacey**: 

I had to wipe tears from my eyes as I looked for Mom. I finally saw her talking to Mona Vaughn's mom and rushed over. "Congratulations, Stacey!" Mom hugged me. I buried my face into her shoulder and started to cry again full force. She held me a minute, then slowly held me away. "My daughter the valedictorian...you know, I'll really miss you in the fall when you go, she whispered, wiping my face.   
"M-me too..." I sobbed.   
"Me also," Mona added, coming up. She and her mom hugged, then Mona hugged me and started to cry, which got me bawling again. 

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**Claudia**: 

TRIUMPH!!!! WE DID IT!!! I found my family standing with Kristy's and we all hugged, Kristy and I congratulating each other. "Congratulations, little sis," Janine hugged me too. 

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All of us BSC found each other, including Basila, Mallory, and Jessi and we walked near the parking lot away from the post-graduation party. It was almost dark by now. We stood deep in thought and quiet a long minute.   
"That was a gorgeous ceremony," Jessi sighed.   
"It's bizarre," Abby added. "I can't believe we're almost legally ADULTS."   
"Our lives are going through more changes," Kristy put in. "But it's great that we've managed to stay close through all our ups and downs of high school." Just then, Caitlin Giotti came up and we congratulated each other.   
"Hey...can I take a picture of you all...the famous BSC that changed the landscape of Stoneybrook forever?" Caitlin held up her camera. We all laughed, then stood by a row of cars first, then stood with SHS behind us. Above us, way in the trees, as if to symbolize one era of our lives closing and another one starting, a bird sang in a sort of song...it was a melody, sort of sweet, lilting, and sad. "Say TRIUMPH!" Caitlin called.   
"TRIUMPH!!!" We all shouted, then we the senior BSC tossed our caps into the air as the camera snapped one last time.   
  
  
  
  


~~2002 _Storyline Copyright_ by **CNJ**~~ 


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